Children of Rebellion
by Girlbender875
Summary: Massively AU. Sequel to "Imperial Child". Anakin is now a Rebel but has a lot of adjusting to do. He also holds an extremely powerful and deadly secret that could make or break the Alliance. Please R&R!
1. Memories and Desires

**Haha! Here's the sequel to "Imperial Child" guys! I know some of you felt like you were running and running along with the story and enjoying it and then you hit a big fat brick wall, so I wanted to bring the next story as quickly as I could! I'm still tweaking the details, though, but I already have the first four or five chapters ready to be submitted! However, I'm going to submit them once a week or every other week that way I don't have this huge amount of updates and then you guys don't hear from me for about half a year. -_- So, here's the new story! Enjoy!**

**Title: Children of Rebellion**

**Rating: T (graphic violence, mild language)**

**Summary: Massively AU. Sequel to "Imperial Child." Anakin is now a Rebel but has a lot of adjusting to do. He holds an extremely powerful and deadly secret that can make or break the Alliance. Can he tell the Alliance before it is too late, or will his indecision be the end of them? IF YOU HAVE NOT READ "IMPERIAL CHILD" THIS STORY WILL NOT MAKE SENSE. READ "IMPERIAL CHILD" FIRST.  
**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS. I don't have any money, so even if you did sue, you wouldn't get anything out of me. I'm broke.  
**

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* * *

The breeze blew through the courtyard, sending some blue flower petals gracefully fluttering down from the trees. He stood in the middle of it, enjoying the soft caress of the wind. _

_Sitting down under one of the trees, he grabbed his bag and pulled some datapads out and looked at some of his schoolwork. It was nothing major, just some galactic history and then basic physics._

_All around him the walls of the house stood like a fence to the courtyard, a wooden corridor with an overhanging roof serving as a place to enjoy the outdoors without necessarily walking into the courtyard itself. Doors lined the walls, and one of them slid open as his mother walked out, her brown eyes twinkling as she smiled._

"_Come on, son," she said. "It's dinnertime,"_

_Looking down at his homework, he decided that he would save it for later. "Coming, mom,"_

_He put his books back in the school bag and ran inside hopping into the air to plant a kiss on his mother's cheek as he passed her. She laughed and gave him a loving hug once she caught up._

_His father was already sitting at the table. His mother walked off towards the kitchen to bring the food out._

"_Do you need some help?" he asked his mother._

"_No, silly, just sit down. I'll bring it out."_

_He did as he was told and quickly slid into his seat, eagerly awaiting the delicious meal to come._

_After bringing the food out, the three ate in comfortable silence. An occasional remark was made about school, work, or the food. _

_Dinner finished rather quickly and he asked to be excused. His parents obliged him and as he left he saw the two of them get up, embrace lovingly and head off towards their bedroom._

_He stopped dead in his tracks. Curiosity flooded him; what were they doing, going to their bedroom so early in the evening? Were they going to…?_

_A hand on his shoulder startled him and he jumped, turning around to see who it was. Before he could get a good look—although he was pretty sure he knew who it was—the person grabbed him by the arm, gently but firmly, and dragged him down the hall._

"_Hey, what are you doing?" he asked._

_The other remained quiet as they ran down the hallway and then exited through the back door. _

"_Where are we going?" he tried again._

_No reply came and the two continued to run—with him occasionally struggling to get out of the other's grasp—until they heard ships overhead. The person grabbed his head and pushed him into the ground. He heard leaves moving and felt them being thrown on top of him._

"_Don't move," the person told him in a low voice, confirming his belief on whom it was._

"_Master Jinn?"_

"_Be quiet, Obi-Wan," the Jedi ordered urgently._

_Twelve-standard-year-old Obi-Wan Skywalker Kenobi did as he was told and remained silent. _

_Suddenly, explosions could be heard and Obi-Wan smelled smoke. He also suddenly felt terrified and upset, even though he didn't completely know why._

_Still, Obi-Wan obediently kept quiet. Even if he wanted to talk, fear and tension sealed his mouth shut. _

_Next he heard people shouting and screaming. Those were his father's servants! Something was happening at his house!_

_Obi-Wan was about to get up, but he heard a noise overhead and froze. Was that a jetpack?_

_More jetpack noises flew overhead, none of them pausing._

"_There's nothing on this side," a voice said to someone else. "Let's check the southern area of the perimeter."_

"_Fine by me," another voice replied._

_The sounds disappeared, but the smell of smoke did not._

_Obi-Wan heard Master Jinn moving beside him. "Let's go, Obi-Wan,"_

_Hesitantly, Obi-Wan shifted and sat up, looking back at his house. _

_What had just been a serene and peaceful picture minutes ago was now in flames. A large chunk of the house looked like it had been taken out by an explosion. Overhead, people in armor or odd-styled clothing and weapons strapped all over them were maneuvering about on jetpacks. Other people were running in and out. At least half a dozen ships were hovering off in the distance._

"_What's going on?" Obi-Wan almost yelled._

_Master Jinn stood him up and grabbed his arm once again, running quickly with his long legs. Obi-Wan practically tripped over his own legs to keep up so he wouldn't get dragged the whole way._

"_What about my parents?"_

_Master Jinn still said nothing._

_Eventually, the smell and the scene itself were too far away for him to detect. Only then did Master Jinn stop running._

_Obi-Wan bent over, catching his breath. "What's going on, Master Jinn. What happened?"_

_When he looked up, he saw a pained expression on the old Jedi's lined face. His blue eyes studied him, white eyebrows furrowed._

"_Your parents are dead." _

Those four words destroyed his life… and yet they gave him a new one. He was like a mythical phoenix, bursting into flame and being reborn from the ashes.

Obi-Wan Skywalker Kenobi looked over at his little brother, Anakin Skywalker. The Imperial defector was sleeping restlessly on a bench with Obi-Wan's coat over him. Ever since the _Millennium Falcon_'s hyperdrive stalled midway through hyperspace (and it was a miracle that they had even survived _that_), they had to land on Ithor to get it repaired.

Ithorians believed that the forests were sacred; they lived in cities that hovered above, and so the port where the _Falcon_ sat also floated in the sky.

Han Solo was more than happy to hear that the typical Ithorian day was forty-two hours long. He said it gave him more daylight to work on his ship. On the other hand, the high altitude made the air thinner and far colder.

Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan's nephew, shivered as he walked over. "How long do you think it'll take him to fix the _Falcon_ this time? We have to rendezvous with the Alliance at Yavin 4 in a week and it takes three days to get there from here."

"I know, Luke," Obi-Wan sighed. "But we can't exactly help the _Falcon_ breaking down. Why don't we see if we can help Han get it done faster?"

Luke snorted. "Good luck. He doesn't like anybody touching his ship."

"Well he'll have to live with it." Obi-Wan laughed. "Otherwise we'll never get out of here."

Luke looked over at his father as Obi-Wan stood up. "I still can't believe that I have a father… it almost seems like a dream—like it's too good to be true."

Obi-Wan smiled and put a loving hand on his nephew's shoulder. "It's true, Luke. No strings attached."

Luke gave a smile in return and the two left the room.

* * *

_Sion came into view as Anakin came to the top of a small hill of snow and ice. Sion caught sight of him and immediately activated his lightsaber, which cast a red glow on his black armor, making him look demonic._

_Anakin grabbed his own lightsaber and activated it, wincing only slightly at the cold rigid touch it provided for his wounded hand._

_Rushing forward, Anakin blotted out all other noise so he could focus entirely on dueling Sion. _

_Sion held his lightsaber out to impale Anakin as he charged forward, but Anakin flipped to the side just as Sion thrust his saber forward. _

_  
Anakin brought his lightsaber down to slice Sion at the wrists, but Sion quickly deflected it with a horizontal parry. He swept his lightsaber for Anakin's throat, but Anakin bent backwards, using the Force to keep his balance as his back went parallel with the snow. _

_Sion brought his blade back close to him for a defensive posture. Anakin leapt overhead planning on thrusting his saber into the elder Sith Lord's head, but had to twist in midair as Sion's blade went straight up to burn through his spine. _

_Instead of landing behind Sion, Anakin landed to his left, but he quickly recovered, bringing his lightsaber down in a diagonal slash. Sion barely met his attack, and Anakin planted his feet firmly into the ground, starting to throw slash after strike with pinpoint accuracy and mind-blowing speed. _

_At first, Sion could parry most of them and had to side-step the rest, but Anakin soon gained the upper hand, giving into his rage and fury._

_This was his specialty. He would store up his fury for duels like these and then let it out bit by bit, using it as fuel, making him more powerful with every step, faster with every twirl, and more accurate with every parry. _

_Just as Sion caught him in a lightsaber lock, Anakin sidestepped and allowed Sion's weight to bring him down to the ground. Anakin brought his blade up into the air and then thrust it into Sion's back, listening as his prey's breathing ceased._

_His fury suddenly dissipated. What had he done?_

_Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and backed away from the corpse. Sion had always been a brother to him… _what had he done?

_That same red haze that always came when Anakin's emotions went out of control returned, and Anakin, in a fit of rage and despair, activated his lightsaber once more and impaled the nearest stormtrooper. _

Anakin Skywalker bolted upright, panting, and buried his face in his hands, moaning softly. He hadn't been able to sleep all that well recently, and these nightmares weren't helping.

Sighing in resignation, Anakin shifted slightly and looked down to see Obi-Wan's coat on his lap serving as a blanket.

Before, Anakin thought of Obi-Wan as a somewhat irritating Jedi. Now… well, he didn't know what to think. He loved his son and daughter, because he looked after _them_ not vice versa. The thought of having an older brother was so foreign to Anakin. Sure, Ceddge had been a brotherly figure, but he was a Sith Lord; one could only be so affectionate before they stopped. Affection between two Sith consisted of joking about how to murder their masters and mutilate their enemies. And now Ceddge was dead… nothing in Anakin's life was the same. Everything had changed so quickly. It was only a matter of months ago that he was still Lord Darth Vader/Grand Admiral Nydo Morlev, a mighty Imperial Sith Lord who would always fight for the Empire he loved. In three month's time he had become a traitor to the Empire, a member of the very enemy he had sworn to destroy, an ally to a Jedi, a father, and a little brother. The thought of it made his head spin. Nothing would ever change what had happened.

Anakin suddenly felt so empty. He missed his apartment in the Imperial Palace. He just wanted it to _end_. He just wanted to go back to his apartment, check up on the Jir family to see how they were fairing, and then go to sleep in his comfortable bed. He could just picture his bedroom now. He could imagine the softness of the mattress and the warmth of the blanket. He wanted it so much it hurt. But it would never be the same. He would never be able to return to his home… to the only place that he thought of as home.

What was he going to do? He loved his children, but he _hated_ the Alliance. He really did. After all, they took his wife away from him. How could he possibly forgive them for that? He was an Imperial, and he would always be an Imperial. It was in his blood. He had been _raised_ by the Empire. When Anakin declared his loyalty for something, he would never be disloyal unless he was betrayed first. Had the Empire betrayed him?

Anakin shook his head. He shouldn't even be thinking such treacherous thoughts. But what was he going to do? He was stuck with the blasted Rebels now because the Empire viewed him as an enemy, and it was all because he refused to kill his daughter.

Any Empire that ordered a father to kill his daughter was messed up. Still, no one knew she was his daughter… even _he_ didn't know at first. So did that really count as a horrid thing? Leia was a traitor to the Empire; it was only natural that traitors be executed. So far Anakin hadn't found anything that suggested the Empire had betrayed him.

Of course, there was Sion… but Sion was acting on revenge and anger like any normal Sith Lord. Anakin hadn't broken any Imperial laws. The only reason why he was supposedly a traitor was because Leia was still alive and Sion was infuriated by it.

There might be the slightest possibility that he could rejoin his Empire. If Anakin were declared a traitor, he would've heard about it on the news by now. Apparently Palpatine either didn't know or he didn't want the information publicized. Anakin could—theoretically, of course—just fly back to Coruscant and no one would care. There would be a fuss about him being missing, but nothing about him being a traitor.

Anakin sighed and looked around the room. He was in a lounge on Ithor because Han's stupid ship broke down again and Han wouldn't have anyone else touch it except for himself and Chewbacca. Anakin knew that he could fix it permanently, but Han wouldn't have it.

The door opened and Leia Skywalker entered the room, complaining about something to Lando Calrissian. Her protocol droid, C-3PO, followed from behind alongside Anakin's astromech droid, R2-D2.

"I swear, if Han keeps acting like that we'll never get out of here," Leia was grumbling.

Lando shook his head. "Leia, you know just as well as I do that Han's very picky about his ship. He doesn't want anybody else touching her."

"He's picky beyond reason." Leia retorted. "We have to be somewhere. We're on a tight schedule and he's being stubborn."

Anakin could guess where they had to be. It was probably the new location for the Rebel base.

Suppressing a sigh, Anakin stood up and stretched. He was a little sore from sleeping on a bench.

"You're finally awake," Leia walked over to him and hugged him gently.

"We were going to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to join us?" Lando offered.

Anakin shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Artoo rolled over to Anakin and beeped.

Anakin laughed. "Yes, Artoo, you can come too."

* * *

It had been two days since the news of Darth Vader being struck down on Hoth came blaring over HoloNet. The Empire was in an uproar. On top of that, Grand Admiral Morlev was still missing.

Leoni Jir stood on the small balcony their apartment had, holding her two-month-old daughter Namaru in her arms.

Zula and Timo were in school, and Daine had to return to his duties. Killer Squadron was departing tomorrow, and Daine would be going along with it.

Leoni prayed that wherever he was, Breifin was alright.

Sighing, she left the balcony and put Namaru in her crib for a nap. Leoni walked into the den and activated the HoloNet receiver, flipping frequencies and watching nothing in particular. It was all the same news, anyway: Darth Vader had been killed.

Everything looked so hopeless. Never before had so many things gone so wrong in such a short time. It was a nightmare.

Getting up, Leoni turned right into the hallway and walked for a short while before stopping and looking at the first door on the left. This was the guest bedroom where Breifin had stayed when he was ill.

Leoni opened the door and entered the room, looking around. It was no different from before; after all, it was only a guest room.

Sighing once again, Leoni left the room without a word and continued down the hall until she reached the end. She walked into the door on the left and entered her and Daine's bedroom.

Leoni searched through a few boxes and drawers before finally finding a small case filled with home videos. She grabbed the case and walked back into the den. Maybe some cheerful memories would lighten her mood.

Entering a small memory chip into the player, Leoni activated the movie and waited. The hologram flickered and twitched and then came into focus. It was a paused image of Daine and Leoni playing with Zula and Timo when they were younger.

Leoni played the video.

The first thing that was heard was a voice with a Coruscanti accent. "Aw, don't you look cute as a dad, Lieutenant Jir?"

Daine flushed. "Oh, shut up, sir."

The voice laughed. "What? After all that fuss you made at the med center about your wife?"

Baby Timo laughed and rolled around as Leoni kept a close eye on him. Three-year-old Zula stumbled about, playing with a small TIE fighter as it buzzed about the room. The toy TIE fighter almost flew right into the camera when a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed it, with the camera shaking slightly.

"Watch who you attack, Zula," the voice said in a laughing tone. "I'm not the enemy."

"Tha' who is, Uncle Nydo?" Zula asked.

The camera's perspective crouched down to her height. "The Rebels, of course. And your father. You can't forget your father."

"Hey!" Daine protested.

Leoni laughed. "I like it!"

"Oh, yes, _you_ like it." Daine grumbled while Breifin and Leoni laughed.

Zula ran around the room, chasing the TIE fighter. Daine scooped Timo into his arms and sat on the couch to stay out of his daughter's destructive path. Leoni did similar and then looked at the camera.

"Nydo, why don't you give me the camera and you can play around with Zula for a while?"

The camera's perspective swiveled from Zula to Leoni. "What?"

"You heard me." Leoni answered. "Give me the camera so you can play with Zula."

"Well, if you insist." Breifin's voice replied awkwardly.

The camera bounced slightly as its bearer walked over to the couch where Leoni sat. The perspective flipped around as Leoni took hold of it and Breifin came into view.

He looked younger then, and certainly not so stressed. He was still very aged, though; the death of his wife had done that to him. Still, his blue eyes had more of a sparkle then than they did last time Leoni saw him. His skin was paler then too. His hair was clipped short enough to where it was barely wavy.

The image froze as Leoni paused it. Staring at his face, she sighed, praying that he was safe wherever he was.

* * *

**Well there it is! The first chapter! Yippee! Please review!!**


	2. A Pestering Feeling

**Only 3 reviews. *sniffle* Well it's only been a day. I hope my reviewers return to me!! O.o Anyway, I got excited and decided to give a quick (lickedy-split quick, haha!) update!! Enjoy!!**

* * *

It was the rainy season in Coruscant. Although the weather in the atmosphere was controlled by technology, there still would be occasional rain and thunderstorms. Coruscanti thunderstorms were violent and terrifying. The lightning would streak across the sky and light up an entire section of the city, quickly followed by roaring thunder that made one's heart skip a beat.

During one of these thunderstorms, Zula and Timo Jir held each other tightly as they waited inside their school to be picked up by their mother.

Their saving grace soon came. Leoni walked into the school, thanked the instructors, and led her children out into the pouring rain before quickly helping them into the speeder.

"How was your day?" she asked them as she flew through the traffic lanes.

"I learned about the Fourth Battle of Kashyyyk!" Zula announced excitedly. "Uncle Nydo was in it!"

"Of course he was," Leoni laughed. "Uncle Nydo _led_ the Fourth Battle of Kashyyyk."

"But what about the first, second, and third battles?" Timo asked.

Leoni racked her brain to remember her history. "Well, let me see… the First Battle of Kashyyyk took place just two years after our wonderful Empire was created. The Wookiees didn't believe in the system and, foolishly, tried to fight against the Empire. Naturally, we retaliated and won. Um… the Second Battle of Kashyyyk happened thirty years ago when some Jedi hid there. The natives paid dearly for their treachery. The Third Battle of Kashyyyk was about twenty-one years ago when some Rebels created a makeshift base near the capital. Then the Fourth Battle of Kashyyyk came a year after when the Wookiees started an uprising against the Imperials on the planet."

"Wow, those Wookiees don't learn!" Zula laughed.

"You're right about that, dear," Leoni said.

The three made it home and ran inside before they got soaked in the downpour. They went to the seventy-eighth level and entered their apartment. Zula and Timo jumped when some thunder exploded nearby. Leoni hugged them.

"It's okay," she said. "Go to the nursery, okay? Namaru will want some company in this storm. You can play dejarik in there."

They scurried off to the nursery just as another lightning bolt split the sky. Leoni sighed and collapsed on the couch, exhausted.

Half an hour later, Daine walked through the door soaking wet. Leoni quickly got up and helped him to a seat and grabbed a towel for him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him in concern.

"I suppose," Daine mumbled in reply. "I'm about as okay as any Imperial could be at a time like this. I've never seen everyone so pale. The entire Imperial Palace is in a state of shock and panic. Killer Squadron's leaving tomorrow and no one even looks like they realize that. This is the biggest scare the Empire has ever had. They need strong officers."

Leoni realized that Daine was talking about her. "What about Namaru?"

Daine shook his head. "Leoni, Namaru needs a civilized galaxy to grow up in, no? We won't have that if the Rebels take over. The Empire needs you. You used to be a lieutenant before settling down with the younglings. I commend you for raising them and taking care of them, don't get me wrong… but the Empire is in more need right now. I'm not saying drop everything… but it's time you came back into service."

Leoni gaped at her husband. They had never talked about this before. When Leoni retired from her service, she had thought that was it. Now, though, with the state the Empire was in, Leoni knew her husband was right. It wasn't just her children who needed her; it was the entire galaxy. Still, Leoni was a mother.

"I'm not leaving until Namaru is a year old," Leoni said flatly. "And nothing you say will tell me otherwise,"

Daine smiled and kissed her. "Of course, dear; you didn't think I meant for us to abandon our younglings, did you?"

"But who will take care of them while we're gone?" Leoni burst out.

"My sister," Daine replied. "She hasn't visited in a little while, but I think she'll be more than happy to take care of them. It'll also be a nice change from living in the city. Corulag is a lot more peaceful and relaxing than Coruscant, after all. On top of that, she lives out in the country in a small town. She's always told me that it's perfect for bringing up younglings."

"Are you quite sure?" Leoni asked. "I mean, won't that be a little bit too much of a change for them?"

"Younglings can adapt quite easily, I think." Daine smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, dear. We'll figure this out. Just remember that the Empire needs you."

* * *

The four Skywalkers walked together as they headed towards the lounge of the _Millennium Falcon_. Han had finally managed to get the bucket of bolts going and they had just left Ithor's atmosphere a day ago. After a long-needed and long deserved nap, they decided to play a friendly game of sabacc while they waited for the arrival at Yavin 4.

Han gave a triumphant shout as he won the third sabacc game in a row. Sabacc was his specialty. Lando sighed in resignation and irritation as the others just gave each other bewildered or amused looks. Chewbacca was livid.

"Hey, I can't help it if you're a sore loser," Han laughed.

Chewbacca growled and roared in response, motioning towards C-3PO, Leia's protocol droid, causing Han to laugh even harder.

"I beg your pardon, sir," C-3PO sounded affronted.

R2-D2 seemed to be enjoying himself quite thoroughly and commented through his series of beeps and tweets.

3PO banged R2's dome. "No one asked your opinion you over-weighted glob of grease!"

Obi-Wan, Luke, and Leia laughed with Han as Chewbacca grunted and snorted. Lando, despite his sour mood from losing three games, chuckled. Anakin remained in the distance, but enjoyed the scene nonetheless.

However, something was starting to nag at Anakin and he didn't like it. It had been bothering him since he went to eat with Leia and Lando on Ithor.

After a few more games, they switched to dejarik, in which Obi-Wan quickly won. Han invited Anakin over but immediately regretted it since Anakin won the next four games.

Laughing, Anakin shrugged. "What? Dejarik is a strategist's game. I suppose you guys just aren't very intelligent, that's all."

Everyone gave him a dark look before Anakin took off with half of the inhabitants chasing him around the ship.

The next morning (or at least what was morning on the ship), everyone awoke to the sound of the hyperdrive disengaging.

Anakin ran to the cockpit where Han was sitting. "Don't tell me it's stalled _again_,"

"No," Han replied hotly. "We're here."

Everyone else entered the cockpit—with Threepio complaining about being stuck to the wall due to the cramped space—and took a good look at the location of their new base. A cheer escaped Lando.

"Sorry," he said when he received odd looks. "It's just I was worried we were going to get another ice ball."

It was quite a relief. Anakin was glad he wouldn't be worrying about freezing in his sleep.

Luke was ecstatic. "Maybe if there was some time we could explore the surrounding area!"

"I wonder how they made the base," Obi-Wan thought aloud. "Cutting down trees here would be a little obvious, don't you think?"

As they entered the jungle moon's atmosphere, they realized that wherever the base was, it was well hidden. It took directions from the Rebels through a coded frequency for Han to land the _Falcon_ safely.

Leia looked at the base—that looked like a conglomeration of ancient temples—with amazement. "I have to hand it to them; they really know how to find the most reclusive area in the entire galaxy."

Immediately after they entered the hangar area, many Rebels gathered around them. A lot of them came to see if they were okay, but many of them automatically went to Anakin.

Preparing for the worst, Anakin paused and waited to see what they would do. The reaction he got was what he expected the least.

"Congratulations!" they were saying. "I can't believe you managed to get rid of that suited demon! Great job! How'd you manage to kill him?"

Soon after these words left the Rebels' mouths, Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan were escorting Anakin out of the room. The three had worried expressions on their faces as they glanced at him on occasion. Anakin remained silent. The last thing he wanted to was talk after _that_ scenario.

The three led him to his new room and threw one last concerned glance over their shoulders before exiting.

* * *

"You know, leaving him alone is _not_ going to help," Han said firmly.

"How would you know?" Leia snapped. "What are we supposed to do? I've been with him longer than you have. Whenever he gets stressed or upset, he leaves to do his own things. He _likes_ being alone."

Han shook his head. "You just don't get it. After doing something like that, do you really think he'll want to be alone with nothing to do? All that'll happen is that he'll begin thinking about it and relive it all over again. It's _not_ a good idea. He should have something to do."

Luke shrugged. "What do you suggest, then? What could we possibly do to keep him preoccupied? I think he'll be in a sour mood no matter what we do for a while."

"I agree," Obi-Wan nodded. "We should just leave him be until he can relax. After all, running from the problem won't get rid of it."

The three Skywalkers left the room, leaving Han and Lando shaking their heads with Chewbacca standing in the background, his arms folded in front of him.

"I don't like it," Lando commented. "He'll kill himself at this rate. We need to find something for him to do."

Han nodded. "Exactly; the others just don't seem to get it. You can't just _leave_ someone alone when they're in pain or depressed. It'll only make things worse. We need to talk to the council for this."

"What do we say?" Lando asked.

Chewbacca suggested giving Anakin a mission.

"Chewie, you're a genius!" Han clapped his hands together. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Review! I want to know what you think so far. :-)**


	3. Déjà Vu

**Thank you to all my reviewers! As promised, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

It had been a month since they had arrived on Yavin 4. Anakin had not been seen once. Throughout the entire time, Han and Lando continuously petitioned Anakin to be sent on a fairly easy mission. They had originally intended for the mission to be difficult to keep him preoccupied but ruled the idea out when Chewbacca mentioned that in his condition, Anakin might not be able to handle it.

Finally, the council found a mission for Anakin. A spy on Tatooine had gained some valuable information. Anakin was to go receive the information and bring it back to the base. It seemed a fairly routine and easy mission, so Han, Lando, and Chewbacca were more than happy to offer it to Anakin.

Obi-Wan, also being a spy, caught word of the mission and asked to be allowed to accompany Anakin. He had been worried about Anakin since they first arrived and sending him on a mission _anywhere_ by himself was a bad idea in his opinion. Han, Lando, and Chewbacca didn't argue.

The day they were to leave, Anakin was nowhere to be found. Sighing, Obi-Wan searched the base for him, finding him on the watchtower.

"Anakin, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked him. "We have to go to Tatooine."

Anakin gave an irritated sigh. "Fine,"

The brothers returned to the hanger together and boarded the ship that the Alliance had provided for them. Anakin immediately went to the cockpit.

"Would you like me to pilot?" Obi-Wan asked gently. "It would allow you to get some rest."

"No," Anakin snapped. "I can pilot fine, thanks."

A little confused, Obi-Wan backed down and merely sat in the co-pilot's seat. What had gotten into Anakin? He wasn't this bad on Alderaan. In fact, he was _reclusive_ on Alderaan, rather than moody. Was this the next stage for the pain? Or was it something else entirely?

The trip to Tatooine would take two days. In that time, Obi-Wan had observed that something was definitely wrong with Anakin. He had barely spoken two words together since they took off and would always avoid Obi-Wan. Whenever Obi-Wan said anything, he would sense Anakin's irritation and restlessness. The boy couldn't sit still. Whatever it was, Obi-Wan knew it was something different from Alderaan. The way he dealt with it was far different.

When they finally arrived, Anakin let an exasperated moan. Obi-Wan remained silent to see if there would be any other reaction. For the first time in two days, Anakin spoke a coherent sentence.

"Great," he muttered. "First we froze, now we're going to be baked."

Obi-Wan hid his smile. At least Anakin could still react to the situations around him, that much was a good sign. Anakin piloted the ship down to the city that their spy was staying in: Mos Espa.

After landing the ship, the two, dressed in typical moisture farmer clothing, disembarked and walked into the blazing dual sunlight. Anakin winced slightly, but showed no other reaction. Obi-Wan at first thought that he wasn't used to such harsh climates since he had almost always been on Coruscant, but quickly scratched that idea. Anakin was a Sith; Palpatine would have put him through the worst the galaxy could offer. Anakin was merely putting on a show for Obi-Wan.

Soon after entering the city, Obi-Wan noticed Anakin began to wander off.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked. "We need to be searching, not sightseeing."

"I'm not sightseeing," Anakin replied irritably. "I'm going to the local junk shop."

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked, completely bewildered.

"I always do that," Anakin answered matter-of-factly. "Every time I have free time, I always go to the local junk shop, no matter where I am. It's just a habit of mine. I like making things from pieces of scrap."

Anakin shrugged before continuing. "I suppose it's just one of the ways I cope with life… and death."

Obi-Wan, wanting to give Anakin some comfort and familiarity in the new life that had quite literally been thrown to him, allowed him to go to the junk shop. He followed to make sure his younger brother didn't get himself into trouble.

The junk dealer, a male Toydarian named Watto, fluttered into the main shop as the two Skywalkers entered. "Ah, welcome!"

Anakin talked to the junk dealer as Obi-Wan stood in the background, looking around the shop.

The junk shop wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Scraps lay in heaps in the corners of the room. Little trinkets littered the counter that spread in front of the left wall. Off in the back was a small antechamber where a half-finished protocol droid sat deactivated.

Watto called out in Huttese for something or someone and a Human woman walked into the room. She looked rough and worn, but had an inner strength that shone out through her dark brown eyes. Her black hair, streaked with grey, was tied in a bun.

"Watch the shop while I talk to this customer," Watto snapped.

_A slave_, Obi-Wan realized with disgust. He truly hated slavery. It was how everyone lived in the Empire; its citizens were slaves to the emperor.

Something about the woman seemed vaguely familiar, however. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he knew with a little bit of concentration he probably would figure it out. However, Obi-Wan was too concerned for Anakin to worry over trivial matters such as remembering a face of someone he had probably only seen in a crowd before.

About ten minutes later, Anakin returned with a small pile of worn-out tools and machinery parts in his hands. Obi-Wan could tell his brother already looked happier; letting him do a little shopping helped a lot. Obi-Wan took note of Anakin's habit for future reference.

The Toydarian junk dealer suddenly snapped at the woman in Huttese. Obi-Wan just realized that she had been watching him the entire time Anakin had been out in the junkyard. Disgusted with the junk dealer's treatment of the woman, Obi-Wan left the shop without waiting for Anakin to finish purchasing.

Obi-Wan wandered around Mos Espa to get the image of the slave woman out of his mind. He was here to retrieve information for the Alliance, not chase after strangers that looked vaguely familiar to him. After all, Anakin needed him. This mission was to help Anakin cope with whatever was bothering him.

It wasn't until about an hour later that Obi-Wan realized the time. He knew Anakin would either be wondering where he was or wandering around unattended. That was the _last_ thing Obi-Wan wanted. The boy was potentially dangerous; if anyone triggered an emotion in him, he would most likely attack ferociously without hesitation. Obi-Wan and Anakin were there for espionage; making a disturbance was the exact opposite from their objective.

Obi-Wan didn't even notice the same slave woman from the junk shop until he was practically on top of her.

"Oh, I—I'm terribly sorry," Obi-Wan quickly apologized.

The woman smiled. "It's quite all right. I believe your companion is searching for you."

Startled, Obi-Wan rushed off without thanking her or giving any consideration for the woman. Cursing himself for his rude behavior, Obi-Wan turned around and shouted a thank you before continuing his search for Anakin.

He found him faster than expected. Anakin merely waited for him at the junk shop, knowing that wandering off would only make things worse.

"Took you long enough," Anakin said, folding his arms.

Obi-Wan noticed the setting suns. "We should probably head back to the ship."

The two made their way back to the space port and boarded their ship once more to rest for the night. Obi-Wan meditated as Anakin fiddled and tinkered with the parts he had bought at the junk shop.

The image of the slave woman continued to bother Obi-Wan, so he stopped meditating and merely watched Anakin at his work. Anakin had apparently being tinkering for years and he had a special talent at it. Obi-Wan knew now where Luke got his extraordinary piloting skills. After all, Grand Admiral Morlev had been known for his amazing piloting skills and leading his special squadron, Killer Squadron. The rumors had been that he was even better than the mighty Darth Vader (who was actually Darth Sion). Obi-Wan sighed; Sith were strange people, not to mention confusing. He was surprised Anakin didn't have an identity crisis with all the aliases he had to use.

Anakin had finished a small mouse droid by the time he decided to turn in. Obi-Wan smiled before going to bed. At least he had some small comfort to keep him going.

The next day, Obi-Wan entered the lounge area of the ship to see Anakin working on his droids some more. He hoped Anakin hadn't skipped breakfast.

"Um, Anakin, care for anything to eat?"

"No,"

Obi-Wan suppressed a sigh. Maybe letting Anakin tinker wasn't all that great of an idea. If he wasn't careful, it would become an obsession… if it wasn't already.

"Anakin, please try to remember that we still have a mission to do," Obi-Wan reminded him.

Anakin nodded and dropped everything as he stood up. "Then let's get to it."

Obi-Wan grabbed some food and began eating as they walked through the streets. The spy was to be found in one of the cantinas, but hadn't provided a solid date on when he would be there. Obi-Wan and Anakin knew that he would be there sometime within the week, so they were prepared to stay all five days to wait for him.

They searched the whole morning and didn't see or sense anything, so Obi-Wan suggested that they have some lunch at one of the restaurants and relax. Anakin, on the other hand, wanted nothing but to return to the ship and work on the machinery some more.

Sighing, Obi-Wan obliged him and they once again boarded their ship. Obi-Wan ate what little food they had left on the ship as Anakin tinkered, ignoring his stomach entirely.

"Anakin, you really do need to eat something," Obi-Wan told him.

"I'm not hungry,"

Obi-Wan suppressed an exasperated sigh. He walked over to the storage unit and pulled some ahrisa and some haroun bread and put it on a plate. He headed back towards Anakin and placed the plate beside the boy.

"Eat," Obi-Wan told him sternly.

Anakin looked at the plate of the native Tatooine food and then looked at Obi-Wan. The cold, hard look that would normally be in his icy blue eyes was gone and instead was replaced by a deep ocean blue filled with confusion. However, in a moment it was gone and returned to the intense piercing look that Anakin normally gave. His eyes seemed to harden in front of Obi-Wan like the ocean he just saw was frozen over.

"Why are you bothering me like this? I'm not interfering with the mission or putting it in jeopardy by working on some spare parts, am I?"

"I'm not trying to _bother_ you," Obi-Wan retorted. "But you_ will_ be putting the mission in jeopardy if you pass out from exhaustion and malnutrition. Now _eat_,"

The brothers spent at least five minutes glaring at each other before Anakin relented, putting the parts down and grabbing the plate of food.

Obi-Wan blew out a breath, trying to get his frustration out. He left the lounge and collapsed on his cot in one of the small bedrooms on the ship.

Dealing with Anakin was more than he had expected. Luke and Leia were easier to handle than their father. One would think two twenty-year-olds would be more of a handful than one thirty-nine-year-old. After all, a twenty-year-old Human still had growth hormones coursing through their young bodies; they'd be more temperamental than a thirty-nine-year-old Human who was just hitting his prime.

While Luke was excitable and a little naïve, Anakin was very worldly wise and almost always showed the same temperament: brooding. Leia would express herself and talk frequently. Anakin would be silent and observant. The boy practically acted twice his age!

Sighing, Obi-Wan remembered that Anakin had been raised as a Sith Lord. Of course he would act this way… Obi-Wan just didn't expect it to be so hard. When he had found out that they were brothers, he thought Anakin would cling to the concept of having someone to lean on… but instead, Anakin seemed to reject the idea entirely. The only way Obi-Wan knew that Anakin understood their relation to each other was that Anakin actually talked to Obi-Wan on occasion while he was deathly silent to any other Rebel except for perhaps Han, Lando, and Chewbacca. Otherwise, only family would get a response out of him.

Obi-Wan left Anakin alone for the rest of the day. The next morning, Anakin wasn't in the lounge. Wondering if the boy stayed up late and then was still asleep in his room, Obi-Wan headed towards his small quarters and opened the door. The bed was empty.

Getting a little worried, Obi-Wan reached out in the Force. Anakin was still on the ship, but he was in the engine area. What was he doing _there_?

Obi-Wan headed back towards the engines and internal workings of the ship. When he entered the room he saw Anakin placing some new parts into slots and crevices and tweaking around with some circuitry.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Just fixing the hyperdrive," Anakin explained. "That way the ride back won't be so bumpy,"

So _this_ was what Anakin had been building for two days.

"You could've told me," Obi-Wan said indignantly.

"For what reason?" Anakin asked as he worked. "It doesn't make a difference if you knew or not, and it doesn't matter. I was fixing the ship."

Obi-Wan did his best not to growl in irritation and exasperation. "We're partners on this mission, Anakin. I have to know what you're doing."

"This barely has anything to do with the mission,"

"You could have still told me something!"

"Why? I was fixing the blasted ship!"

Obi-Wan paused, noticing Anakin's normally level voice was rising. Whatever had been bothering him was back. Apparently he was out of things to do after he fixed the hyperdrive.

The Jedi silenced himself and then left Anakin to his work. The moment the Sith left the room two hours later, Obi-Wan stepped into his path and gently—but firmly—took his arm and led him off the ship.

"What are you _doing_?" Anakin asked, his temper beginning to get out of control.

"We're just going out to eat, that's all," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "You need a break."

"You could've told me," Anakin growled.

Obi-Wan faced him and smiled. "Why? This barely has anything to do with the mission."

Obi-Wan expected a retort but Anakin was silenced from the tongue lashing. However, he sensed his anger rising to a dangerous level.

"Just relax," Obi-Wan said. "All we're doing is eating."

Anakin's anger lowered, but barely. If anybody said anything provocative, they would be in trouble.

The two entered a small restaurant that sat in the shade of tarps. They grabbed a table and immediately ordered some water.

After ordering their food and beginning to eat, Obi-Wan tried to start some conversation.

"So this habit of yours," he said. "Did you always go to the junk shop?"

"Whenever I could," Anakin replied as he ate.

"So I'm supposing you did it a lot on Coruscant?"

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, who winced internally. Why did he mention Coruscant, the _last_ planet in the galaxy that Anakin needed to be reminded about?

"Yeah,"

Desperately trying to change the now very tense conversation, Obi-Wan went for a different subject. "Uh, so what did you think of Watto?"

"A fool," Anakin answered, settling down. "He thinks he can sell anything to anyone. I thought a native of Tatooine would know better than that. He's not that great of a bargainer, anyway. Unfortunately he doesn't succumb to mind tricks."

"You tried to use a mind trick on him?" Obi-Wan nearly choked on his food. "I thought we were supposed to be lying low."

"I only tried it once, and he didn't even notice it," Anakin snapped. "At least I was _doing_ something, unlike you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You were just standing in the main area while that slave was staring at you."

Obi-Wan started. "She was looking at me?"

"Yeah," Anakin replied. "When I came back in with Watto she had barely moved and was just giving you an odd look. Then Watto put her in her place and life went on."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, shocked. "You sound like you approve of Watto's treatment of her."

"I do," Anakin said matter-of-factly, as if he were talking about an animal or a droid. "After all, if the slave isn't listening, you have to put them in their place."

"How can you say that? They're sentient beings just like you and me!"

"Just because they look like us doesn't mean they're sentient. Besides, everyone has a purpose in life, and a slave's is to do the bidding of their master."

"So you support slavery," Obi-Wan said, disgusted.

"Of course I do," Anakin shrugged.

"But _you_ were a slave when you were a youngling!"

"What's your point? I was destined for something different, so Palpatine found me."

"I thought you didn't believe in destiny,"

"I don't; it's just a figure of speech. But I do believe that everyone has a purpose in their life. Some people's purposes are bigger than others. Mine was to serve the Empire that I love to the best of my ability and bring order to the galaxy."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Quite so, Obi-Wan,"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't understand you. Do you even care that Sion tried to kill your daughter? Do you care that your precious Imperials wanted your daughter _dead_? That the Empire almost succeeded killing me and your son on Corellia two years ago?"

"My Empire only wants you dead because you're part of the Rebel Alliance. It has nothing to do with your relation to me. In fact, if the Empire knew of your relation to me, I could order your capture and just keep you alive and imprisoned on Coruscant."

"So instead of killing us, you'll have us imprisoned,"

"If need be. Besides, this is all theoretical. Nobody has been killed."

"Except for Sion,"

Anakin ignored the comment. "I just say you're too sympathetic and soft. Slaves serve their purpose well."

"I don't agree,"

"Very well, then we'll agree to disagree. Why were you two staring at each other, anyway?"

"What? I wasn't staring at her."

"You were glancing out of the corner of your eye."

Obi-Wan paused. "I… I'm not quite sure. I just—she felt familiar to me, somehow. As if I had known her—or at least met her—some time ago…"

Anakin looked at him before laughing. "Oh, dear, it seems the mighty Obi-Wan has a thing for older women. Poor soul,"

Obi-Wan looked at the Imperial defector with an irritated glare. The boy wasn't taking him seriously at all.

Deciding that he didn't want to get into an argument once again, Obi-Wan let the subject drop and the two finished their meal in silence, an occasional malicious chuckle escaping from Anakin as he remembered Obi-Wan's comment on the woman.

After the meal, they resumed their daily search of looking for the spy. Apparently, he had just arrived in Mos Espa. The two quickly found him in one of the dirtier sides of town in a small cantina.

After going through a series of coded sentences to verify each other's identity, they sat down and ordered some drinks.

"There's been some Imperial unrest in the Agon system," the Rebel reported. "Interestingly enough, many of the prisoners on Agon 9 have vanished. Many Imperial Star Destroyers and fleets have been reported in and near that system."

"Interesting," Obi-Wan muttered. Anakin, however, seemed to have absolutely no interest in the conversation whatsoever. His eyes seemed unfocused and he grew fidgety.

Obi-Wan took notice of his brother's odd reaction and quickly got any other information out of the spy before they parted their ways.

"What was _that_?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin as they began to return to the ship so they could leave; there was no sense in staying any longer now that their objective was done.

"What was what?"

"Your reaction in there; I thought you would've been interested to hear about your Empire."

Anakin shrugged. "Supposedly—at least according to you and your Rebels—I'm now an enemy of the Empire. Why should I care about its actions now?"

"Anakin, something's been bothering you." Obi-Wan finally said, getting straight to the point. "I've seen it, Han, Lando, and Chewbacca saw it, and your children saw it. What's bothering you? You're acting very strange. I thought you were improving once we left Alderaan."

Anakin stopped walking. "Why do you care?"

"Because I'm your _brother_," Obi-Wan stressed. "What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," Anakin brushed him off.

"Yes, it does, and it must be serious to be bothering you so much,"

"Listen, it's _my_ problem to deal with—not yours,"

"Anakin, will you just tell me—"

Obi-Wan stopped in mid-sentence. The slave woman from the junk shop was just down the street at a vendor.

Anakin noticed where Obi-Wan was looking. "Oh, for Force's sake. If you want to go flirt with the woman than do so without me,"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and grabbed Anakin's hand. "I'm not finished talking to you. Besides, I just want to know her name."

Obi-Wan began dragging Anakin over towards the woman, who seemed to be trying to count her money to pay for some food.

As they got closer, they sensed her panic and dismay as she realized she could not afford the food she was trying to buy. Obi-Wan immediately pulled some extra money out and handed it to the vendor as they walked up.

"Here, allow me to help," he said kindly, arm wrestling with Anakin as the latter tried to get out of his grip.

The slave woman seemed to recognize Obi-Wan. "Oh, it's you! I'm—I'm sorry, I didn't—you don't have to pay for that, really,"

"It's all right," Obi-Wan smiled. "I'm more than glad to help."

"Then, please—at least allow me to repay the favor," the woman replied. "Will you join me for dinner?"

Obi-Wan's smile grew and he could practically hear Anakin moaning through the Force. "We'd be delighted to."

* * *

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	4. Introduction

**Thank you to everyone for your reviews!**

* * *

"So you're Commander Jir, right?"

Daine looked at the woman in a black uniform. The shoulders bore red epaulets and her badge referring to her rank had four red rectangular stripes in it and four blue rectangular stripes below the red. In both of her shoulder pockets was a code-cylinder, indicating that she was a colonel; this was an officer in the Hunter Squad.

"Yes, ma'am," Daine said, saluting her immediately.

"At ease," she waved her hand dismissively. "I've heard that you saw the grand admiral shortly before his disappearance."

Bracing himself for the worst—and fighting off the stab of pain that came when Morlev was mentioned—Daine clasped his hands behind his back and turned his face to stone. "Yes, ma'am, he had stayed at my family's residence to help us prepare for our third child."

"So you obviously knew each other very well," the colonel assumed.

"Yes, ma'am, I have known the grand admiral personally for at least seventeen years,"

"Personally?" the colonel repeated. "So you knew of him even before getting to know his acquaintance?"

"Well, ma'am, surely everyone knows of the grand admiral without having to meet him," Daine replied carefully.

"What is your military history, Commander Jir?"

Daine gulped. What was this, an interrogation? "After I graduated from the Imperial Naval Academy as an ensign I was assigned to the Coruscant Sector Fleet for one year. Then when Grand Admiral Morlev went to Kashyyyk I was assigned to his Killer Squadron soon after. I accompanied the fleet for two out of the three-year Rebel hunt. I never met the grand admiral in person, however. Then I was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to the Outer Rim Imperial Fleet. I remained there for twelve years. I was promoted from first lieutenant to lieutenant, and then to lieutenant commander. I returned to Coruscant and worked at the Imperial Palace for three years before returning to the Coruscant Sector Fleet with the rank of commander."

The colonel nodded. "And then you joined Death Squadron for three years,"

Daine nodded. "Yes, ma'am,"

"Why did you return to Coruscant, then?"

Daine paused. He knew the reason, but an officer was supposed to put the Empire before their family. Still, he couldn't lie to a higher ranking officer. The colonel was from the military; she was a military officer, but the naval equivalent to a colonel was a captain, still above Daine.

"I wanted to be near my family," he finally said.

The colonel laughed. "I can tell. It was all over you face, commander."

The colonel paused before finally introducing herself. "Colonel Otta Kobylarz of Hunter Squadron; it's a pleasure to meet you Commander Jir." Colonel Kobylarz smiled. "I remember seeing you during that hunt. You were so timid and quiet then. You really have grown, commander. I think you'll be a great captain."

"I—I beg your pardon?" Daine stuttered.

Colonel Kobylarz merely continued to smile and exited the room. Daine gaped after her. What was _that_?

Shaking his head, he walked off towards the bridge of the _Assassin_, the _Imperial II_- class Star Destroyer that he was currently stationed in. Why had the colonel said that, anyway?

As he stepped onto the bridge, the captain walked up to him. "Jir, may I ask what you are doing here?"

"Well, sir, I am currently off duty, but I am more than willing to offer my services—" Daine began to explain before being cut off by the captain.

"You are to be preparing to transfer over to the _Nomad_," the captain interjected.

"I—What?" Daine stuttered. "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but—but I received no such orders."

"Now you have," the captain said, his features softening. "… Captain Jir,"

* * *

Dinner so far had been very… boring.

Anakin sat to the side of the small rectangular table in the slave woman's quarters. He found being here rather vile.

Obi-Wan sat across from the woman, talking politely about life on Tatooine with her. Anakin knew it was just so they could have a pleasant conversation without revealing any private information. It was ridiculously annoying. He _hated_ pointless conversations. If they were going to talk about something of worth they could at least get to the point.

Anakin didn't look at the woman. He was raised his whole life taught that slaves and servants were that way for a purpose. After all, how could any work get done without people complaining? They were doing the galaxy a favor; slaves were important to the galactic economy and lifestyle in their own way. Rather than listening to the conversation, Anakin blotted it out as he ate sparingly. Force only knew what that woman put in this awful food.

Bored to tears, Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan's plate to see if he was anywhere near being done, but Obi-Wan had barely touched his food, too engrossed in the meaningless conversation to pay much attention to eating. Honestly, Obi-Wan was more of a politician than a Jedi… or maybe that was just what Jedi really were.

Being in the slave's quarters brought back a few memories of Anakin's assassin years. Not interested in what was going on in the present time, he decided to indulge himself with some memories of the bloodier days…

"_You're needed," Sion said calmly as he tossed a datapad to twelve-year-old Anakin. _

_Anakin looked over the information in the pad. His target was named Jinn-To Strax, the head of a criminal organization that had been supplying some of the Empire's enemies. Jinn-To constantly had bodyguards with him, but he was secretly moving to one of his hideouts near Coronet City on Corellia. This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate him._

_Anakin entered his quarters, walking through the den to his bedroom. The bedroom was quite plain and barely had anything in it besides the basic furniture: a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser. He liked it that way; it made things far more manageable since he had no patience for dealing with cleaning up a messy room. Besides, he had nothing to fill it with anyway. _

_He reached into his nightstand drawer and grabbed his lightsaber. Then he changed into some more appropriate clothing for an assassin. After all, he was still wearing the clothes he wore for his tutor that morning. _

_Anakin got out of his studious clothes and put on some black loose pants that allowed for mobility. He strapped them to his legs on his calves with some dark brown leather and then slipped his feet into black boots. They were thin and if walked upon properly, made no noise whatsoever. Being a trained killer, Anakin knew just how to stay in the shadows and be deathly silent. Next was the black obi which reached halfway down his thighs. He tightened it and then tied a sash. He then bound more leather around his forearms. Finishing it off by tying a black cloth around his forehead to cover his hair, Anakin proceeded to grabbing his weapons._

_Lightsabers weren't his only specialty. Anakin strapped a vibro-knife to his left calf and a small dagger to his right thigh. Then on his sash, he put on a belt which had three holding slots on the left side and a pouch on the right. Anakin grabbed a piece of flimsy that had a written message on it and stuck it into a thin, flexible metal casing. Anakin then crumpled it up and stuffed it in the pouch. He grabbed a sheathed vibro-sword, vibro-short sword, and his lightsaber, attaching them to the belt. _

_The assassin was ready to go. _

_Taking a deep breath to prepare, Anakin stepped onto his balcony in the den and stood on the railing. He had to get to Coronet before his target left. A soft drizzle started. Anakin straightened himself… and then stepped off the balcony._

_Falling down at least four hundred stories, Anakin leaned his body right and left to maneuver his way towards a speeder that was sitting in a parking loft. Using the Force to gradually slow his fall before finally cushioning his landing, Anakin landed cat-footed beside the speeder before jumping into it. Hacking into the system to get it started was extremely easy. _

_Anakin piloted the speeder towards the nearest space port and then snuck aboard a ship bound for Corellia. Half an hour later he was on his way._

_Meditation and preparing for the kill kept Anakin preoccupied for the ten hour trip. The moment the freighter landed, Anakin snuck off and into the alleys of Coronet City. He reached out into the Force to feel for his prey. Sion had provided a sample of the man's Force signature by giving him an article of clothing that the man had worn. Remembering the signature it gave off, Anakin felt soiled. The signature smelled of greed and horrible offenses that even Anakin wouldn't sink low enough to commit. He would be glad to rid the galaxy of this animal._

_Less than a minute after he began searching, he sensed the target… his prey. Licking his lips, Anakin set off, jumping to a low rooftop before jumping from building to building. The moment he entered the vicinity of his prey, he hopped down to the alleyway floors. Silent as the death he would soon bring, Anakin crept through winding alleys before hearing his prey. He could practically taste the fear; this man knew he was marked._

_Along with the prey there were four bodyguards; this would be easy. _

_As with all his kills, Anakin would spend time meditating upon the person he was targeting on the way to the scene of his prey's demise. He would decide what kind of kill he would do to deliver the justice of the Empire that he dealt out. If he believed that his target deserved an honorable death than he would act quickly, activating his lightsaber and making it clean. However, if he deemed that the prey was unworthy of such praise than he would do it in the most pleasurably graphic way he could. _

_Anakin despised this man; he wanted to see his blood._

_Grabbing the hilt of his vibro-sword, Anakin prepared himself and then used the Force to aid him. He sped towards the first of the four bodyguards, slashing across his back before stabbing the next one in the throat. He pulled his soaking blade out of the choking bodyguard and then gutted the next bodyguard. All of this happened in a second, but it played in slow motion in Anakin's mind. He was now covered in his victims' blood, feeling the warm liquid seeping into his clothes._

_The last bodyguard faced him as his charge screamed and tried to run. Pathetic._

_Anakin gave the bodyguard a quick death for his bravery; stabbing him in the brain. He then rushed ahead, smiling and licking the blood around his lips as he caught up with his target. _

_With a vibro-sword, the blade vibrated quickly, giving off a hum. However, the vibrations were subtle, not shaking the grip on the weapon. Because of the vibrations, the slightest touch would leave a gaping wound._

_Anakin slashed the man on his side, quickly pulling the sword back so that it was not fatal. He was an assassin, but he enjoyed prolonging the death those he didn't like._

_The man screamed out and fell over, clutching his side as blood poured out. Anakin stepped into the puddle, hearing his feet splash with every step he took. He stood over the man and held his blade downward, stabbing the man in the back. As the man choked for air in his shock, Anakin lifted him up, getting covered with his blood. He raised the blade and beheaded the man._

_Dropping the corpse, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the flimsy inside the metal and placed it on top of the dead body. On the flimsy was a message:_

_The justice of the Empire has been brought down. All who are disloyal shall share the same fate._

_Anakin stared at the carnage for a short while before flicking his vibro-sword to rid it of blood. He deactivated the small servomotor that caused the blade to vibrate and then sheathed his sword, walking away from the alley._

Anakin snapped out of his memories when he heard his name enter the conversation… or at least his alias for the mission: Koran Maru.

"He's quite the expert at fixing mechanical malfunctions," Obi-Wan was saying.

Ignoring his older brother, Anakin merely returned to reminiscing… perhaps he could find a memory more appropriate for the setting he was in…

_Thirteen-year-old Anakin walked into an abandoned warehouse outside of the city he was in to wash off the blood. He had just dealt out another piece of Imperial justice to a particularly disgusting target, and so he felt the need to rid his prey of its blood before he killed it. _

_Soaked in the prey's life-giving liquid, Anakin walked over towards a decrepit-looking 'fresher. He grabbed a bucket and filled it with water from the sink before taking his boots off and pouring the water over his head. He stripped out of the defiled clothes and waited as a droid brought him a change of clothes. _

_Washing the blood off his hands took a little longer than necessary since he wanted to make sure he even got the smell off. The droid—C-9R—took the bloody clothes and walked away. _

_C-9R was essentially Anakin's nanny. He had had C-9R since he was seven. She was a mixture of a nanny droid, assassin droid, and a security droid. She had first-degree intelligence, which was the highest for a droid, capable of complex thought._

_Because of her programming as a nanny droid, she was often trying to take care of Anakin. However, when Anakin was on missions, her assassin and security droid programming kicked in and she merely watched him at his work. He had never needed her interference for any mission. _

_Anakin always called her "See" since he first met her because at the age of seven he thought C-9R was a strange name for a person. When he had first met her he had asked numerous questions and she had been stiff. Her nanny programming obviously had been overrode under Palpatine's orders so that she would not be soft and forgiving to him. However—though to this day Anakin had no idea how it happened—her programming returned enough for her to care for him when he was ill or in need of a kind ear to listen to him let out his stress. See had grown to like him—or maybe even love him, although he wasn't even sure a droid was capable of such emotions. _

_Unfortunately, her caring nature also made her a nag._

"_Did you have to use the vibro-sword again, Lord Vader?" she asked, using his Sith title since they were alone. "It'll take forever to get this blood off your clothes… and you'll smell horrible. Look at you, you're _covered_ in it."_

_Anakin rolled his currently red-and-yellow eyes. "Relax, See, I'll wash it off."_

_As she returned after he had changed, she handed him a datapad. "The Master wants you to go to Agon 9. He says there is something for you to see there. Lord Sion will be waiting for you."_

_Anakin took the datapad and looked it over. "They want me to go there? But I'm just an assassin… unless it's my time to come out."_

_See folded her syntheflesh-covered arms. "It better not be your time to come out. You're a _boy_,"_

_Anakin rolled his eyes again. "Stick to trailing me and giving me what I require. It's what you're good at."_

_See's photoreceptors flashed, indicating that she blinked. "I'll remember that the next time you need a massage after you finish training with the Master."_

_Anakin tensed up; sometimes he _hated_ training sessions with Palpatine. "All right, all right, I'm sorry,"_

_Anakin walked out of the warehouse without waiting for C-9R, knowing she would follow. "Can you get passage to Agon 9 arranged? I need to lie low for a while."_

"_Of course," See said, walking off towards the main area of the city. _

_Anakin jumped up to the rooftop of an adjacent building an sat on the edge, hanging his legs over the side. It was sunrise in Chaleydonia, the capital of Christophsis. The planet was known for its breathtaking cities made entirely of crystal, and its capital was the most beautiful of all. As the sun rose, the crystals caught the light perfectly, causing the entire city to glow all colors of the visible spectrum. _

_By the time the sun hung high in the sky, Anakin had fallen asleep on the rooftop. The chime of his comlink awoke him. _

_Anakin activated it but waited for the caller to speak first, as was typical for him; after all, no one but three people knew the comlink code._

"_Mako, meet me at Crystal Square. We have a flight to catch." See said, using one of his aliases. _

"_I'm on my way," Anakin replied, cutting the transmission. _

_Anakin stood up and looked around, feeling out to see if any people were around; no one was there. Anakin jumped down and ran towards Crystal Square, which sat at the center of the city._

_Once he arrived, he caught sight of See rather quickly. She was rather easy to identify in a crowd._

_The nice thing about C-9R was that she was the perfect droid companion for Anakin, physically speaking. Her head was similarly designed to that of a protocol droid, except the shape was not as harsh and her face was covered with syntheflesh, a feature that most nanny droids had. Her arms—also covered in syntheflesh—were more flexible than that of a protocol droid's, allowing her to bend them in ways that a regular Human could. Her neck had exposed wires, as well as the top of her thighs, but See wore a simple tunic to cover herself, another trait of nanny droids. Embarrassingly enough (at least to Anakin), See resembled a nanny droid more so than an assassin or security droid. However, she did have blaster cannons in her forearms, which could be accessible with her detachable hands. About the only thing that separated See from a regular nanny droid was that she only had two arms instead of four and she did _not_ have an internal reservoir to store milk. Also, the syntheflesh on See was stale and cold, unlike nanny droids that had warm syntheflesh that bore the scent of the youngling's mother. To the average onlooker, the two would just look like a nanny droid escorting her charge for some parents_

_Palpatine had assigned her to Anakin so that she could make sure he didn't fool around or get into trouble. Although Sith normally trained younglings and didn't care if they lived or died, Anakin was a jewel to Palpatine, and he could not afford to lose him… yet. So, See was essentially assigned to Anakin as a bodyguard and a spy for Palpatine. The only reason why she was part nanny droid was to make her appear to be his nanny droid in public, which she still enjoyed doing, much to Anakin's annoyance._

_Anakin walked up to See and the two walked together. They reached the space port and boarded the ship, which was a _Delta_-class JV-7 escort shuttle. These types of Imperial shuttlecraft were mostly used for high-up Imperials due to their advanced maneuverability, comfort, and weaponry. See had done a good job; there were only two passengers besides Anakin and See. One was a moff, the other, a grand admiral. In other words, they both knew of Anakin's identity._

"_Lord Vader," they saluted him. Anakin could tell the moff felt ridiculous saluting a teenager. Anakin decided to show him that he was no ordinary child._

_Anakin approached the two. The grand admiral remained calm and composed. The moff felt humiliated._

_Faster than any of them—including C-9R—could see, Anakin had snatched the moff's saluting arm and held it in a bone-breaking grip. He made sure his eyes glowed a malicious yellow._

"_I sense… doubt in your mind," Anakin said in a heartless voice. _

_Behind him, the grand admiral slowly inched away. See merely watched, knowing better than to interfere. _

_The moff could only gasp and moan as his arm slowly began to break. _

"_Do not underestimate someone just because of their outward appearance," Anakin warned him. "You never know what they're truly like on the inside."_

_He released his grip and the moff backed away, cradling his arm. Anakin walked towards the more private quarters, where See now waited for him._

_After the door slid shut behind him, See sat down. "You seem rather stressed, Lord Vader."_

"_I'm not," Anakin snapped, sitting down. "I just don't like being underestimated. I _hate_ being viewed as a child."_

"_Lord Vader," See said knowingly. "You _are_ a child, physically speaking."_

_Anakin sighed and collapsed on the comfortable bed. "How long before we reach Agon 9?"_

"_Seven hours," See replied. "Perhaps you should take a nap. You stayed up all night tracking your target."_

_Anakin shrugged. "I guess… if anything happens, let me know."_

_Anakin turned away from See and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep. Moments later (or at least what seemed moments later to Anakin), See gently shook his shoulder. _

"_We are landing," she informed him as he turned sleepy eyes in her direction._

_Anakin immediately got out of bed and headed towards the door, but See stopped him._

"_Perhaps you should take note of your appearance first, Lord Vader," she suggested._

_Anakin looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw dark circles under his icy blue eyes. His hair was a mess, too, and his clothes were slightly wrinkled._

_Anakin wrinkled up his nose and looked at the droid. "You're ridiculously picky, you know that?"_

_See had already grabbed a brush and was combing his hair by the time he had managed to say that much._

"_Hey!" he said, trying to get away from the irritating droid. "What are you, my mother?"_

"_I am your nanny droid," she said. "That is my programming."_

"_No, you're not, you stupid bucket of bolts," Anakin replied. "You're just using your undercover job to annoy me. You're only my nanny droid in public."_

"_And we're in public," See stated._

"_What—you, dirty little—get off!" Anakin managed to push her arm away from him, but by then the damage had been done; his hair was groomed._

_Cursing in any language he could, Anakin straightened his outfit and washed his face before exiting and regaining his composure. _

_The moff, who had been getting up, froze in place as Anakin entered the room. The grand admiral merely stood, waiting for Anakin to exit first._

_Anakin disembarked with See trailing behind and the two walked into the Imperial command post that the shuttle landed by. Inside, Darth Sion was waiting for him. The room was entirely empty except for the Sith Lord._

"_Wait outside," he told C-9R, who immediately did as she was told._

_Anakin walked over to Sion. "Why was I called here? This is a prison world."_

_Sion turned his attention towards the view port and Anakin followed his gaze. Off in the distance was the prison that occupied the planet. POWs, political prisoners, and dissidents were the main percentage of convicts there._

"_There is a project being built nearby," Sion explained. "We require labor. I summoned you here to pick those who you wish to employ to this task. It should be a nice recreational activity in comparison to your regular duties."_

_Anakin looked at Sion. That was it? He was supposed to pick a bunch of prisoners to do work for the Empire? Certainly Sion had called him for more than that._

_Sion led Anakin out of the command post and the two went to the prison. When they arrived, Anakin did his best to hold back a gasp of shock. _

_Although the main percentage of prisoners was the POWs, and others, the smaller percentage consisted those who merely did acts considered traitorous to the emperor… and their families._

_There were children in this prison._

_Anakin watched them as they ate, since it was mealtime. Sion folded his arms across his chest, his harsh breathing filling the room._

"_We require young hands," he clarified._

_Anakin looked at the man in the suit. _This_ was why he was called here. It was another Sith test; another way of teaching Anakin that no one else mattered in the galaxy except for _him_. _

"_Why are there children here?" he asked in a barely audible tone._

"_Has Master never told you about the balance in this galaxy?"_

"_The balance of the Force?"_

"_No, not particularly. This is more economic than philosophical. Have you ever heard of the saying, _A place for everything and everything in its place_?"_

"_Yes,"_

"_That saying is the key. For there is a place for everything… and everyone; you see, everyone has something that they are to do, something that is expected of them. Everyone has a task in life that they are to accomplish if balance is to be maintained. If there were too many intellectuals, than who would do the lower-class work? If there were too many droids, there would be a revolt. There has to be a _balance_. Your duty in life is to serve the Empire and to some day dominate the galaxy. These younglings' duties are also to serve the Empire, but in a different way."_

_Anakin bit his lip. He understood the lesson, but it still felt a little odd to have younglings doing slave work. Still, Anakin had been training since he was five years old. _

"_All right," Anakin nodded. "How many can I select?"_

"_You are allowed fifty slaves," Sion replied. "I shall choose the rest."_

_Anakin entered the room. The younglings all looked at him, as well as the two Imperial guards who were stationed in the room. An Imperial moff—thankfully, not the same one from the shuttle—entered the room and stood beside Anakin with four stormtroopers behind him. _

_Anakin reached into the Force. He needed strong hands, not diseased ones. There were plenty to choose from in this room. It was time to pick the first one._

_Looking around the room, Anakin pointed to a six-year-old Twi'lek girl. "Her,"_

_The moff immediately ordered a stormtrooper to grab her. The trooper did so easily with the girl screaming the whole way. The moment her scream pierced his ears, Anakin blocked it out, and assimilated the information. Now he could select them without feeling guilt. After all, Sion was right._

_A place for everyone and everyone in their place._

Anakin sighed. He had finished his food now, but the two were _still_ talking. Were they ever going to finish?

Finally tired of it, Anakin interrupted the slave in mid-sentence. "You never said who you were."

The woman paused and then laughed. "Oh, I'm so very sorry! My name is Shmi, Shmi Skywalker."

The room was deathly silent for an instant, and then it exploded into motion. Anakin and Obi-Wan both stood up at the same time, knocking over their seats. Obi-Wan was gaping in shock, while Anakin was fuming with rage.

"Who do you think you are?" he snarled. "You lying little whore. What's your real name?"

The slave stuttered, looking horrified and shocked at the same time. "I—that _is_ my real name!"

Anakin began to go towards her but was immediately held back by Obi-Wan. He wrestled out of his grip and then stood still, trying to calm down. Not being able to, he instead opted for leaving before he was tempted to kill her. Anakin stormed out of the small house and collapsed against the adjacent building.

* * *

**The idea of leaving a note saying "The justice of the Empire has been dealt out" comes from hitokiri during the bakumatsu in Japan after they assassinated someone. They would leave a note saying that the will of the gods had been dealt out. Please review!!**


	5. Reunion and Explanations

Obi-Wan couldn't talk. Not even after Anakin had exploded like that. He was… speechless.

His _mother_ was standing in front of him. Good Force, no _wonder_ he recognized her when they first saw each other!

For years Obi-Wan thought his mother was dead. On Alderaan, he had found out she was alive, at least long enough to give birth to his little brother, Anakin… but he had never suspected that he'd actually _see_ her again!

"Who—who are you?" she asked. "Who is he?"

Obi-Wan gulped. What could he say? He hadn't seen her in forty years! Forty long years…

"I—my name—do you—do you recognize me?" Obi-Wan stuttered, trying to be as coherent as his numb brain would allow.

The look his mother gave him made his heart sink. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"I'm—I'm terribly—terribly sorry for—he's kind of—well, he's a little—I'm sorry!" Obi-Wan bowed. "I'll be going now."

"Well, wait!" his mother called. "I—you—who are you?"

Once again, Obi-Wan paused. "I… I go by many names."

His mother was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"The alias I took for this mission is Galen," Obi-Wan went on, avoiding the point of the matter. "I'm normally known as Star-Hopper. I have a nickname, too…"

"What's your real name?" she asked softly.

"My… my real name?" Obi-Wan stuttered. "Well, it's—it's… it's Obi-Wan."

His mother stared, her mouth slack. She stared. And stared. _And stared_.

"O-Obi-Wan?" she whispered. "_My_ Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan blinked the tears away. "Yes… Mother,"

Shmi Skywalker looked him over for a moment before gasping and running over to him. Mother and son embraced for the first time in four decades.

* * *

Killer Squadron had been patrolling the Bright Jewel Oversector for about a week now. Nothing of interest had come up yet. Their main priority was merely to keep the peace and destroy any Rebels found there.

An oversector was a hub of Rebel activity. There would always be an Imperial fleet patrolling in an oversector.

The Bright Jewel Oversector had six systems: the Arda system, the Bright Jewel system, the Jovan system, the Kwenn system, the Toprawa system, and the Yavin system. Killer Squadron was currently patrolling the Arda system.

Daine sighed contently as he stood on the bridge… _his_ bridge. Being a captain was the highlight of one's naval career, and _everyone_ strove for it. Now Daine had achieved his goal. He was captain of a ship in Killer Squadron, the second best squadron in the entire Imperial Navy.

"Captain Jir," a lieutenant handed him a datapad on what their sensors had picked up so far.

Daine looked it over. There was nothing of great consequence. Searching a system took about two weeks each, so they would be there for a while. He sure hoped Leoni and the younglings were doing alright.

* * *

Shmi couldn't believe it. After forty years, forty long and painful years, she found her Obi-Wan again. She had thought that he was killed when her husband was. When she heard that they didn't find any Jedi, she had dared to hope, but years later it was reported that Qui-Gon had been killed… all her hope had gone.

But now… now she had her boy in her arms, as if it had never happened. Her Obi-Wan was back.

But who was his companion?

"I can't believe it's you," she muttered, holding him tightly.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Obi-Wan admitted. "I thought you were dead for the longest time."

"_I_ thought _you_ were dead," Shmi laughed. "It's so wonderful to see you again, Obi-Wan. You have no idea… I missed you so much,"

Shmi held him at arms length to get a good look at him. He had grown so much! He used to have a slight frame. She had always been worried because he would get hurt so easily. His thick auburn hair was always a little messy, too, just like his father's. Now, though… now he was a man. He had grown a mustache and beard, for one thing. But it wasn't in just his physical description… she could see it in his eyes, in the way he carried himself. Before, those eyes had been filled with naïveté and innocence, but now maturity and pain had filled them. There was also a sense of calm in them. Her little boy was all grown up and she had missed it… the thought tore at her heart.

"Who was the other?" she asked all of a sudden.

Obi-Wan's smile vanished. Shmi immediately regretted asking. Had she hurt her boy's feelings? She hadn't seen him in so long that she had almost forgotten how to read her son's expressions and mannerisms.

"He's… a, ah, friend," Obi-Wan said delicately.

Shmi shook her head. "Tell me the truth, Obi-Wan."

Again, Obi-Wan hesitated. "Mother… he's… Mother, what happened to you when those bounty hunters attacked?"

Shmi was confused. Why was her son avoiding the subject? Who could this person be? Not wanting to cause her son any more pain, she merely answered his question. "Well, the bounty hunters merely captured me. The only one who was wanted dead was—was your father. I was sold into slavery once more. I went to a noble family to be a maid. Then…"

Shmi trailed off, not knowing what to say. How could she tell her son that he had a brother? She herself didn't know how she became pregnant with her younger boy… he'd be about thirty-nine now… if he was still alive…

"Then what, Mother?" Obi-Wan prodded.

"Then… I became pregnant," Shmi said flatly. What else could she say? She couldn't lie to her boy. "I had a baby boy… I don't—I can't explain how I became pregnant with him, but… well, you have a brother, Obi-Wan. I gave birth to a boy and I named him Anakin."

Shmi expected some sort of reaction, but Obi-Wan barely blinked. What was wrong with him? Was he in shock? She decided that she had just better keep explaining before it really settles in. "Well—anyway, after I had Anakin, we remained there for two more years, and then—then they sold us off. We went to a slave auction and I was sold to Gardulla the Hutt here on Tatooine—but—but Anakin was sent to the spice mines on _Kessel_!"

Shmi couldn't hold it in. She had held this grief, along with the grief of losing Obi-Wan, for thirty-seven long years. At the time she thought Anakin was her only family still alive, and when she lost him… she felt like there was nothing to live for in her life. Shmi began sobbing uncontrollably, and Obi-Wan held her for her comfort.

"All these years, I thought I lost everyone I loved," Shmi cried. "Oh, Obi-Wan…"

After a while, she regained her composure and continued with her story. "After _that_… well, life was a blur. I didn't care anymore… I was with Gardulla for about ten or fifteen years, then I was sold to Watto and I've been with him ever since."

The two remained silent for a time before Obi-Wan gently held Shmi's arms and made her look into his eyes. "Mother, I already know about Anakin."

Shmi started. "What? How could you know about him?"

"Because…" Obi-Wan trailed off, obviously trying to find the right words. "Because he's the one who's with me,"

Now it was Shmi's turn to have her mind numb with shock. "That—that man was _Anakin_?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, still nervous.

"Why? Why is he acting like that?"

Obi-Wan paused again. "He—he's had a—a bad start to life, Mother."

"What do you mean? What's happened to him, Obi-Wan?"

"Well… you remember Qui-Gon, right?"

"How could I not?"

"Uh… well he discovered that I was Force sensitive, and—he trained me to be a Jedi Knight. So I'm a Jedi, and—do you know what a Sith Lord is?"

Shmi paused, taking it all in. "You're a _Jedi_? That's amazing! I—wait, what's a Sith Lord?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "That's what I thought. Perhaps you should have a seat, Mother."

Shmi sat down and Obi-Wan pulled up a chair in front of her. He was wringing his hands nervously. "A Sith Lord is essentially the antithesis of a Jedi Knight. A Jedi strives for peace in the galaxy while a Sith strives to conquer it. Jedi protect the innocent, while Sith kill them."

"That's horrible!" Shmi gasped.

Obi-Wan looked miserable. "Anakin was raised by a Sith Lord. Anakin _is_ a Sith Lord."

The room went dead silent. Shmi looked at her son in horror. "No… no, he—he couldn't be…"

"I'm afraid he is," Obi-Wan said sadly. "He was found when he was five-years-old and taken in by the emperor himself. Anakin has grown up on the principals of power, greed, and hatred. He has killed thousands, no doubt… but now he's changed sides. He used to be an Imperial, but now he's fighting with me for the Alliance… but he still has quite a bit of emotional baggage."

Shmi stared blankly into Obi-Wan's eyes. Anakin was a murderer? Her son had grown up in such a horrible life… all because of her. How could she have let this happen? She… no, she couldn't help it. But still…

Obi-Wan suddenly stood up. "I'm going to get you out of here, Mother. I'm going to free you so you can return to the Alliance with us."

"W-What?" Shmi stuttered.

Before she could do anything else, though, Obi-Wan had already walked to the door and left.

* * *

Obi-Wan exited his mother's hovel and stopped. Anakin was slumped against the adjacent building. Sighing, he walked over to his brother. Their mother had been through so much and all Anakin could do was insult her!

When he reached Anakin, the boy was in a daze, staring into nothing. Obi-Wan shook him. "Anakin! What's wrong with you?"

Anakin immediately snapped out of it. "What do _you_ want?"

"Why did you react that way?" Obi-Wan demanded.

Anakin stood up, getting defensive. "Look, _brother_, I know you like this whore but I don't. She's a liar."

"Don't call her that!" Obi-Wan yelled.

"I'll call that witch what I want to call her!"

Obi-Wan was about to continue, but he stopped himself. He had to calm down… "We're going to see Watto."

"Why?"

"Because I have some business to do with him,"

Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin roughly by the arm and strode off towards the junk shop.

When they arrived, Watto immediately entered. "Welcome! What can I do for you?"

"I want to buy one of your slaves." Obi-Wan said. He couldn't just demand for Watto to release her, because that wouldn't get anywhere.

"One of my slaves?" Watto repeated. "You come here to buy my wares, _not_ my slaves."

"I'm not interested in your wares," Obi-Wan replied.

"You're _not_ getting my slaves!" Watto snapped.

Before Obi-Wan knew what happened, Anakin was on top of the Toydarian, his hand locked on Watto's throat with an iron grip. "Give him the slave,"

"All right!" Watto choked. "Please! Let go!"

Obi-Wan immediately pulled Anakin off. "Stop!"

"I'll do anything you want!" Watto pleaded.

"_Give him the slave,"_ Anakin snarled.

"Which one?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to—"

"He wants the woman," Anakin interrupted. "The black haired woman with brown eyes,"

"Shmi?" Watto asked.

Anakin looked livid.

"All right, you can have her!" Watto shouted. "I'll deactivate the chip!"

Watto flew over to a cabinet and pulled out the deactivation grid. With Anakin glaring at him, he quickly disabled it for good.

Obi-Wan sighed once again. He was going to talk to Anakin about this.

The moment the grid was disabled, Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan and dragged him out without another word.

* * *

**Please review!**


	6. Family Tensions

**Sorry for the wait, guys. It took me a little while 'cause I had an ever-so-slight writer's block. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you mind explaining why in the blazes you just tried to kill him?"

Anakin felt like he was going to go insane. First he hated Obi-Wan for trusting the slave, then he helped him because given the choice of the Toydarian and his brother, he'd take his brother, and now Obi-Wan was _yelling_ at him for helping!

"What do you want from me?" he stopped, holding out his arms in defeat. "I argue with you and you hate it, I help you and you hate it—_what do you want from me_?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "I appreciate your help, but you can certainly find a better way of doing it."

"Why? The way I picked was a lot more effective than yours," Anakin replied, resuming his walk.

"Where are we going now, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"We're returning to the ship." Anakin said. "You freed your precious little whore, that's that."

Obi-Wan immediately stopped dead in his tracks. "Anakin, stop calling her that,"

"Why? It's true," Anakin responded. "Have you seen slaves before, particularly female slaves?"

"She's _different_,"

"That's nice,"

"We're going to get her off this planet,"

Anakin, who had been walking on without his brother, froze. "We're going to do _what_?"

"You heard me,"

Anakin whipped around and faced the Jedi. "Oh, no, we're _not_. I'm not having a slave on board with me."

"Why do you think so lowly of them?"

"I'm higher than they are," Anakin said. Why didn't Obi-Wan understand that? It was practically one of the most principal things to know about the galaxy. "Therefore, I have no need of being around them. They're _slaves_. I'm a _Sith Lord_. If you can't see the difference between the two than maybe you're as bad as they are."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Anakin, you're not listening. They're people just like the rest of us."

"Yes, and people divide into subcategories," Anakin explained. "Mine is different from theirs, therefore, I have no need, intent, or purpose to fraternize with them."

"What about me, then?"

"Well, whether I like it or not, you _are_ a warrior, which is far above a slave," Anakin assessed. "Therefore, they're not eligible for your company either, so _let's leave_,"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin, we _are_ getting her off of Tatooine."

Anakin growled. "You won't _listen_ to me so it doesn't seem to matter anyway."

Anakin resumed his march towards the ship once more, ignoring his brother entirely. If he wanted to drag the slave along, that was _his_ problem now.

* * *

Obi-Wan watched Anakin walk alone down the street. He was really worried about him; the boy had been acting up since they left for Tatooine, so his problem wasn't just the issue of their mother—though Obi-Wan knew that it did not help at all. He almost walked after his brother until he remembered about Shmi.

Quickly turning around, Obi-Wan ran to the slave quarters and knocked on his mother's door. She answered it and looked surprised, but no words came out. Obi-Wan couldn't blame her; she had a lot to take in.

"Grab your things," Obi-Wan said as he entered. "We're leaving."

"W-What?" Shmi stuttered.

"You're free, Mother, just like I said you would be,"

Although she was surprised, his mother still managed to slip some humor into the situation. "That was awfully fast,"

Obi-Wan laughed lightly. "You can blame Anakin for that."

Mentioning Anakin wasn't the brightest of ideas. The moment she heard her younger son's name, her face darkened and her eyes saddened.

"Please, Mother, we have to go," Obi-Wan insisted, trying to get her mind off of his blunder.

Shmi nodded and began to hustle around the small living space, gathering her essentials. After packing a few changes of clothes and some trinkets that probably held many memories, Shmi returned within ten minutes' time, ready to go.

The two exited the house and Shmi gave it one last look before walking straight forward and never looking back. She looked excited, but also a bit nervous; after all, she had been a slave almost all of her life and now she was going into a galaxy of uncertainty with one son who adored her and another who was in denial.

Mother and son entered the spaceport where the ship sat, engine humming, ready to go. The landing ramp, however, was up.

Sighing, Obi-Wan reached into his pocket and grabbed his comlink. "Anakin, do you mind lowering the ramp for us?"

"Who's this us that you're talking about? I'm already on board," Anakin replied on his end.

"Me and our mother, Anakin,"

Anakin cut off the connection.

Shmi looked hurt. Growling in frustration, Obi-Wan reached out into the Force.

_Anakin, lower that ramp!_

Anakin remained silent, but Obi-Wan could sense him moving towards the ramp.

Sure enough, the ramp lowered, but Anakin stood at the top blocking the entrance, arms crossed.

"What are you thinking, Obi-Wan? You know, when you said we're getting her off, I thought you meant that we would find her a ride, not _be_ her ride. Are you insane? We can't take a _slave_ back to the Alliance. Besides, I thought Jedi weren't supposed to mingle with low-life scum like _her_." Anakin ranted.

"_Anakin_, Jedi are supposed to protect those who cannot protect themselves," Obi-Wan reminded him, getting irritated very quickly.

"What does she need protecting from?" Anakin asked. "Is this because you're a Jedi or because this slave lies about being your Mummy Dearest?"

"Even if she weren't _our_ mother, I would still free her," Obi-Wan snapped. "No one deserves to be a slave."

Anakin shook his head. "How many times to I have to tell you? Slaves have their place in this galaxy just like everybody else. I mean, slaves are better than having droids doing labor because slaves can actually think for themselves!"

Anakin paused for a moment and before Obi-Wan could reply, he began to laugh mirthlessly. "Oh, wait, I take that back,"

Obi-Wan lost his patience and yelled, "Just get to the cockpit and let me deal with her, all right?"

Anakin huffed and left the entranceway. Shmi was looking down at the ground, a hurt expression on her face. Obi-Wan sighed; why couldn't Anakin just accept that she was their mother? He didn't understand why his brother was in denial; he would've thought that Anakin would pounce on the idea of having a parent. Of course, Anakin was still a mystery to Obi-Wan; there were many things about his brother that he didn't know.

"Don't worry about him," Obi-Wan said reassuringly to their mother. "He's just been in a bad mood."

Shmi nodded, but she still looked hurt. Resigned to dealing with an upset parent and a furious brother, Obi-Wan led her onto the ship.

* * *

Fuming, Anakin piloted the ship out of Tatooine's atmosphere. He couldn't wait to get out of the system; even going back to the Rebel base sounded better than being stuck on that sand bucket.

Why was Obi-Wan taking that woman along? It wasn't like she was actually their mother; he did not have a mother, and that was final. Obi-Wan's mother died soon after giving birth to Anakin, period. This woman was just lying so she could use them like the filthy little slave she was. Anakin had slaves in the Imperial Palace and there hadn't been any problems. He had been to slave camps to make sure the work was being done! What was the difference now?

The woman wasn't the main problem, though. When that nagging feeling began on the way to Yavin 4, it never left, and Anakin had long since figured out why. It was eating him from the inside out. He was being torn in two by his loyalty to the Empire and his newfound allegiance to the Rebels. What was he to do? He could not rat out his children and even his annoying brother… but he couldn't betray his Empire. He was stuck.

Anakin sighed and grabbed a hold of his anger, feeding it further and using it as a way to ignore the pain of the decision that he would eventually make whether he liked it or not. Force, he even preferred Sith training over this… or maybe it could be looked at as Sith training.

What could he do? He couldn't return to the Empire unless… unless he killed Palpatine and took the throne for himself. The only problem, of course, was the bureaucrats would have a fit. No one would recognize him or think of him as Morlev now. When he had been with the Empire as a grand admiral, his skin was pale, his sandy brown hair short, and he had a luscious and thick Coruscanti accent. Now his hair had grown out halfway down his neck, he had two day's worth of a beard and mustache growing, and his skin had tanned nicely in the twin suns' heat. Even his Coruscanti accent was beginning to fade. He looked more like a maverick than a grand admiral.

The familiar hum of the hyperdrive engaging filled the cockpit as the ship jumped into hyperspace. Anakin dreaded going back into the lounge area for fear of seeing Obi-Wan with the slave. Instead, he just sat in his chair for the entire day. He used his anger to fuel his endurance so he wouldn't have to eat for two days, the time it took to return to Yavin 4.

He sensed Obi-Wan heading towards the cockpit on the second day. Anakin wanted to be alone, so he used the Force to close and lock the cockpit door before Obi-Wan could reach it.

_It's not polite to slam the door in someone's face,_ Obi-Wan spoke to him telepathically.

Anakin ignored him.

He could hear his brother sigh mentally. _Anakin, will you please just let me in so we can talk?_

"Talk about what?" Anakin said aloud as the lock clicked and the door hissed open, allowing Obi-Wan to enter.

"Talk about what has been bothering you," Obi-Wan said in a measured tone.

Anakin knew his brother was treading carefully not to get him angry, but he just didn't want to deal with it. He did _not_ want to tell anyone…

"Please, Anakin let me help," Obi-Wan sat down in the copilot's chair, looking Anakin in the eye before Anakin had to look away.

"Where's your slave?" Anakin asked as he stared at the currently opaque view port.

Obi-Wan paused and Anakin could sense him controlling his irritation. "She's sleeping,"

Anakin remained silent. Obi-Wan didn't speak either; he merely waited for Anakin to speak.

Anakin chose not to speak, so they sat in silence for what seemed an eternity. Mercifully, the console beeped to signal the exit from hyperspace. Anakin began working at the controls and ignored the Jedi entirely. Obi-Wan sighed and stood up, leaving the cockpit.

Landing the craft was quick and easy. The moment the shuttle was in the Rebel landing pad, Anakin shut down the engines and sensed out through the Force to see where his brother and the slave were. The two were talking right at the landing ramp. Sithspit.

Obi-Wan said something to the slave and she exited the ship. Obi-Wan, however, did not. He was apparently waiting for Anakin.

Sighing and cursing under his breath, Anakin decided that it would just be best for him to argue with Obi-Wan and get it over with rather than wait until later. He stood up and exited the cockpit, walking through the lounge to reach the landing ramp before pausing at the sight of Obi-Wan casually leaning against the wall waiting for him.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said in an even tone. "We have to talk. We can even talk in private far away from the Rebels if you like, but please just talk to me."

Anakin suddenly felt very weary and he snapped, "Why do you want to talk so much?"

"Because I want to help," Obi-Wan replied, his voice rising in exasperation and irritation. "Why don't you understand that? Didn't you have anyone who just wanted to talk merely to help you when you were with the Empire? Did anyone care that much?"

"Of course," Anakin growled. "I had the Jir family until the Rebels tore me away,"

"The Jir family," Obi-Wan repeated curiously. "What were they like? How did you know them?"

Anakin sighed. "Can we talk _later_?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Of course… but we _will_ talk."

Anakin fought back the urge to roll his eyes. The two disembarked and Obi-Wan walked over to the slave as Anakin went towards the commanding officer so he could report the spy's findings. He was very tempted to tweak around with what the spy said… he couldn't possibly let the Rebels start getting suspicious about that area…

* * *

Obi-Wan stood leaning against the wall in the ship. He knew that Anakin would have to get out of that cockpit eventually.

Through the Force he sensed his younger brother's exasperation and then saw him standing in the hallway leading to the lounge.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, keeping his voice even. "We have to talk. We can even talk in private far away from the Rebels if you like, but please talk to me."

Anakin looked tired and ill. Obi-Wan was tempted to walk over and take him to a doctor. Before he could make a move, however, Anakin snapped, "Why do you want to talk so much?"

Obi-Wan nearly growled in irritation. Couldn't Anakin guess why he wanted to talk? Did the boy just not understand that people actually wanted to _help_ him? "Because I want to help; why don't you understand that? Didn't you have anyone who just wanted to talk merely to help you when you were with the Empire? Did anyone care that much?"

"Of course," Anakin replied defensively in a low growl. "I had the Jir family until the Rebels tore me away."

Obi-Wan was then tempted to remind Anakin that he went to the Rebels by his own free will, but he didn't. Instead, he latched onto the Jir family, knowing that talking about something pleasant might loosen the boy's tongue and relax him. "The Jir family, what were they like? How did you know them?"

He could tell Anakin didn't seem to mind the turn of the conversation but whatever was pestering him wouldn't give out. Instead, he sighed tiredly. "Can we talk _later_?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan nodded, not wanting to push the issue too much for fear of Anakin closing him off completely. "But we _will_ talk."

The brothers walked down the ramp side by side and then Obi-Wan walked over to their mother while Anakin went to report the spy's findings.

"How's Anakin?" Shmi asked the moment Obi-Wan reached her.

"He's… he's very stressed," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I don't know _why_,"

He could see Shmi's saddened look. She wanted to help her son, but Anakin wouldn't let her. Obi-Wan wished his brother would put whatever was bothering him aside so he could comfort his mother. He was being so blasted _selfish_.

Sighing, Obi-Wan supposed that was the Sith training. He hadn't realized it was so extensive, and it only made him angrier. How could he have possibly thought it _wouldn't_ be this bad? Anakin had been _raised_ a Sith Lord!

"Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan looked at his mother. Her brown eyes glistened with concern.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan said. "But now we need to figure out what you'll be doing,"

"What?"

"Well you can't just lounge around I'm afraid," Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, not everyone is a soldier."

Obi-Wan put a reassuring arm around his mother's shoulders and led her off towards the Rebel commanders.

* * *

Luke and Leia had been discussing the new information that leaked in from their contact on Tatooine when their father suddenly stormed into the room.

"Father?" Luke stood up and gave him a welcoming hug. "You don't look that great…"

"I'm not feeling well," he said curtly.

Leia raised an eyebrow. "Father, from what I've seen, you haven't been feeling well since we arrived on Yavin 4. Do you mind telling us what's wrong?"

"Yes, I do," their father answered before leaving the room.

Luke and Leia exchanged glances before Leia sighed and shook her head. "Somehow, I don't get the feeling that the mission to Tatooine helped."

* * *

**As usual, review!**


	7. The Secret

**Sorry about that wait, it was a little long. Anyway, here's the next chapter, so enjoy and review!**

* * *

Two weeks of seclusion later, Anakin found himself about to bang his head in the wall. Apparently it was some sort of holiday for a certain planet and so every native in the Rebel Alliance was having a huge party. When he listened closely, he could have sworn he heard Luke's voice in the throng as well.

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday,_

That was about the millionth time Anakin had heard that refrain. It was a catchy and fun tune, but he was _not_ in the mood.

Meanwhile, next door, all of the natives that Anakin heard were dancing in a circle. Leia watched from the side along with Obi-Wan, Han, Chewbacca, and Lando. They were all laughing as they saw Luke dancing like a lunatic with his "cousin," Rasca Darklighter.

The festivities were all in honor of a holiday mostly celebrated by moisture farmers, although every native to Tatooine knew of it. The holiday, the Chenini Festival, was celebrated when Tatooine's third moon, Chenini, was at its perigee to Tatooine. It was an ancient festival that was originally started to pray to the moon goddess for a good crop in the coming year. Nowadays it was merely a traditional festival to bring good luck and celebrate a good year.

Luke had a lot to celebrate, Leia surmised. Discovering that he had an _actual_ sister, father and uncle was some rather amazing news.

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday,_

_I wish I was a muja,_

_A-hanging on a tree,_

_And every time-a Mayli pass,_

_She take a bite o' me,_

Obi-Wan laughed. "Where does this song come from?"

Another Darklighter that Luke grew up with, Gavin, approached them with a smile. "What, this song? It's a tune that's been around forever. It's associated with this festival because it was sung at weddings and lots of farmers used to marry at this time for a blessing from the moon goddess."

_The first time I saw Mayli,_

_She was standing in the door,_

_Her shoes and stockings in her hand,_

_Her clothes all over the floor,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday,_

_You ought to see my Mayli,_

_She lives away down south,_

_And she's so sweet the honeybees,_

_Swarm around her mouth,_

Luke gave a loud whoop of joy as he took the center of the dance floor with Rasca. The two twirled about and laughed as everyone else clapped the beat and watched with joy. Then everyone lined up and began doing a traditional dance before busting into motion and skipping about the room with their partners.

_She told me that she loved me,_

_She called me sugarplum,_

_She drew her arms around me,_

_I thought my time had come,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli_

_I'll marry you someday,_

_She loves me in wet season,_

_She loves me when rain don't fall, _

_If she don't love me all the time,_

_I want no love at all,_

Luke and Rasca took each other by the hands and lined up with everyone else before skipping down the line with everyone clapping and cheering. Leia laughed along with the others. He looked like he was having _way_ too much fun.

_I wish I had a needle,_

_As fine as I could sew,_

_I'd sew that gal to my coat tail,_

_And down the road we'd go,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday,_

_She took me to the city,_

_She cooled me with her fan,_

_She said I was the prettiest thing,_

_In the shape of mortal man,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_Get along home, Mayli, Mayli,_

_I'll marry you someday_

The song was over with everyone laughing hysterically. Luke and Rasca ran over to Gavin and the three began to talk. The three seemed to be having a good time so Leia and the others left them alone. Soon, another song started playing and people took to the dance floor once again. Luke seemed to recognize the tune and immediately, he and Rasca ran back to the dance floor.

"I wish there was a way to make everyone this happy," Leia muttered as her thoughts darkened.

"Speaking of grumpy people, has anyone seen Skywalker Senior since yesterday morning?" Han asked, earning a snort of laughter from Chewbacca and Lando.

"I haven't seen him at all," Lando commented. "How was he yesterday?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "He was a wreck to say the least. Something's been bothering him—"

"We know _that_," Leia interrupted. "He's been like that since Ithor, and that was _months_ ago."

"Yes, but it's worsened over time," Obi-Wan said darkly. "He won't even speak to me now. I'm surprised he even interacted with you and Luke."

Leia leaned against the wall and let out an irritated sigh. "How are we going to get him to talk? The very fact that he won't talk to us means he doesn't trust us. Why would he not trust us?"

"If I may say so, Leia, why _would_ he trust us?" Obi-Wan countered. "You have to remember the situation he's in. He was _forced_ to join the Alliance after the Empire declared him a traitor."

Chewbacca grunted in argument, saying that Anakin had actually never been officially branded a traitor to the Empire.

"That's true…" Lando muttered. "Is _that_ why he's been so uptight? Has he realized that the Empire hasn't branded him a traitor and he's _guilty_ because of it?"

"That's a possibility," Obi-Wan stroked his auburn beard thoughtfully. "Although I don't think that's quite it. It might be part of the problem, though."

"How do you know?" Leia asked.

Their conversation was interrupted by Luke and Rasca walking over, red faced and panting for air, but happy nonetheless. Luke's smile vanished when he saw the serious looks on their faces.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Is it an assignment?" Rasca prompted.

"No, no, nothing of the sort," Obi-Wan assured the two. "It has to do with your father, Luke."

"Your father?" Rasca repeated and looked at Luke. "You mean—you mean you've actually _found_ your parents?"

"My mother is dead," Luke said somberly before smiling slightly. "But my father is alive,"

"Who is he?"

"Get this, Rasca: He's Grand Admiral Nydo Morlev,"

All Rasca could do was gape.

"I can't believe you didn't tell them sooner, Luke," Lando commented.

Luke shrugged. "I haven't exactly had much of a chance. Most of the Alliance knows by now that his name is Anakin Skywalker, anyway."

"I guess so," Han folded his arms across his chest before sighing. "He's still frustrating as heck, though."

"Oh, is _that_ what you're talking about," Luke said knowingly, nodding his head. "I really don't know what's wrong with him. Did you manage to get anything out of him, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The most he ever said to me was that he was stressed. However when I tried to get some details out of him he merely claimed that it was his problem."

"That's—why would he say that?" Luke asked desperately. "We want to _help_ him!"

"He doesn't understand that," Obi-Wan sighed. "I suppose it's his Sith training. After all, Sith are taught to trust no one but themselves. They even kill their own masters after learning everything they can from them. To a Sith Lord, everyone is a tool."

"Including his own children?" Leia asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head again. "I really don't know, Leia. I think he's conflicted to say the least. He probably feels some loyalty to the Alliance because of you two, but he's still indoctrinated by the Empire."

"He's loyal because of you too, Obi-Wan," Leia pointed out. "After all, you're his older brother,"

"I'm not quite sure he seems to understand that fact," Obi-Wan said helplessly, pain leaking into his voice. "Either that or he despises me… I'm not quite sure which."

"Don't say that, buddy," Han said seriously. "He's probably just… I don't know, he's—maybe he's confused!"

Everyone shot Han a look. Leia's voice dripped with sarcasm when she replied, _"Really?"_

* * *

Anakin lied about on his cot. He hadn't moved from it for two days. The two months before that had been spent brooding about the base and avoiding the others as often as possible. It actually had been a difficult task since Obi-Wan, Luke, and Leia were insistent upon talking to him.

Although the issue of having a mother still bothered him on occasion, it no longer dominated his thoughts. No, the only thing that bothered him now was that secret… how could he possibly tell the Rebels? He wasn't even sure if he _wanted_ to tell the Rebels. Over the course of two months he had essentially gotten _nowhere_. The idea of telling the secret made him feel as if he would betray the Empire, but keeping it a secret would endanger his family. He didn't know what to do.

A knock at the door disturbed his thoughts and he used the Force to open the door, beckoning the visitor in. It was Luke and Leia. The two looked serious and determined. This would probably be an attempt to get him to talk.

"Father, we need to talk." Leia said sternly, as if she were his mother instead of his daughter. "You've been in a dark mood since Alderaan, but now you've gone to the extent where you're hiding in your quarters. The entire base knows something's wrong with you, so just tell us!"

Anakin remained silent. What could he say? What could he do?

"Does it have to do with the Empire?" Luke asked.

Despite his best efforts to keep silent, the sincere tone in Luke's voice was too much. It reminded him too much of Padmé. Though he didn't respond verbally, he nodded in affirmation.

"So it's a matter of betrayal," Leia surmised. "I understand that you're still extremely loyal to the Empire, Father, but surely… can't you see that the Alliance is right?"

Anakin bolted up from his cot and looked them calmly in the eye. "A long time ago, I was impartial to the Alliance, Leia. I really was. But now… I… I don't hate the Rebels, not anymore… but I'm still loyal to the Empire that raised me and took care of me."

"But Darth Sion tried to kill Leia!" Luke protested. "How can you love an Empire that tried to kill your daughter?"

Anakin didn't answer.

"Come on. We're your children for Force's sake," Leia persisted. "Tell us what's wrong!"

"Father, please! You've been like this for months!" Luke pleaded.

Anakin shook his head again, pausing for a long while. He prayed that the two would just give up and leave, but they inherited his stubbornness. Finally, he whispered painfully, "I… it's a secret."

"An Imperial secret?" Luke insisted, making sure that they were on the right track.

"Yes,"

The tension was so thick it could be cut with a vibro-knife. Time seemed to pass by ten times slower. Anakin's breath caught in his chest. All he could hear was his own heartbeat pounding his eardrums.

Breaking the silence, Leia pushed for the answer. "… And? What's the secret?"

"I… I—I can't!" Anakin yelled suddenly as he jumped to his feet. "Please, Leia… I can't."

"Tell us," Luke and Leia said together, walking towards him slowly.

The world started spinning. How could they just do this to him? He couldn't tell them, he just… to tell them would be to betray the Empire. Anakin couldn't… _NO!_ Everything began to close in on him, making him suffocate as if Sion had his Force choke squeezing the life out of Anakin. He grew blind with panic when he suddenly felt a pair of steady, loving hands gently seating him once more on his cot. The hands weren't Luke's; they were too calm. They weren't Leia's though, because they were thicker and calloused.

It was Obi-Wan.

"Anakin," he said softly. "I know this is hard for you. However, running from the situation is not helping you either. If this is an issue of betraying the Empire, then ponder upon this: Which do you consider more important, the Empire or your children? If this secret is so important, than surely it puts your younglings at risk."

He couldn't take it. Anakin's fear came out in one last panicked attack. He desperately tried to push Obi-Wan away and run out of the room. He closed his eyes and wouldn't look at any of them, but their Force signatures pierced into his soul. An eternity later, he finally said it:

"The Empire… the Empire has been working on a construction project in the Agon system. The project—it started years and years ago when I was about twelve or thirteen. Just before I joined the Alliance with Leia, the project was nearing completion. When the Rebels attacked Rhen Var, I led Killer Squadron to make sure that they _didn't_ discover the project."

"So what is this project?" Leia asked softly.

"It's—it's called the Death Star."

"Why is it called that?" Luke inquired.

"Because all it brings is death," Anakin moaned. "Even _I_ didn't like the idea of it when I first learned of the project. It just…"

"You were a Sith Lord and you didn't like it?" Obi-Wan said incredulously.

Anakin shook his head. "It was too much power. I know the Sith strive for power, but this wasn't controlled by the Sith directly. A Grand Moff named Wilhuff Tarkin is overseeing the construction and he will be in charge of the station when it is completed. I don't trust that man. He claws his way to power like a Sith, which means he should be dealt with accordingly.

"However, Master—uh, Palpatine, likes him. He knows that despite the possibility of treachery, Tarkin gets the job done."

"So this place is a space station with a lot of power, then?" Leia summarized.

"It's more than just that," Anakin replied slowly, fearfully. Here was where the interesting part came. "The power it controls is planetary annihilation. When that station is fully operational—which should be within the year by now—it will be able to destroy an entire planet with one touch of a button."

Silence followed his statement. The other three were gaping at him in horror.

"That's—that's impossible!" Luke gasped. "How could—that's just not possible, there's _no way_ a space station can blow up a planet!"

"It can't yet," Anakin replied miserably. "It will be able to soon, though."

"We—we've got to do something," Leia muttered before shooting to her feet and running out of the room. Luke looked from the door to Obi-Wan. The two nodded subtly and gently led Anakin into the hallway.

"I know this is going to be hard, Anakin, but you must tell the Alliance Council this," Obi-Wan said as they walked down the corridor.

As the threesome rounded the corner, they caught sight of Han, who quickly ran towards them.

"Hey, Luke, what's going on around here? I just saw Leia running by like her life depended on it." Han said casually.

"Um, you'll find out later," Luke stuttered quickly.

Bewildered, Han merely sidestepped to avoid colliding into the group and then watched them enter the meeting room where most of the council members could be found.

* * *

**Finally, the secret is out!! Review!**

**The song "Get Along Home Mayli" is a Star Wars version of "Get Along Home Cindy" which is an Appalachian folk song.  
**


	8. Lightsaber Training

"Oh, I can't believe we're doing this. Daine, she's not even a year old,"

Leoni and Daine waved good-bye to their children as Mahna Jir, Daine's sister, took them to her house. Leoni and Daine blew kisses to their younglings before boarding the Imperial shuttle.

The shuttle blasted off Corulag and began its preparations for hyperspace. It wasn't going back to Coruscant, though. Instead, they were rendezvousing with Killer Squadron. Daine would return to his ship and Leoni would be reassigned. The couple gazed at the planet for a moment, missing their children before the shuttle entered hyperspace.

They had acted half a year early due to the Empire's deteriorating state. Though it hadn't fallen into disarray, things had been thrown into such chaos that the Alliance had managed to claw its way into the Mid-Rim, causing the Imperials much alarm, including Leoni. She knew that it was time to act.

Daine and Leoni had explained what was to happen to their younglings as best they could. Zula seemed to understand, but Timo was upset. He didn't know why he had to be separated from his parents. So they had made the explanation as simple as possible: The Rebels were causing problems and Mommy and Daddy had to clean up the mess. The whole idea made Timo hate the Alliance even more, which brought no qualms from his parents.

Zula had been extremely quiet on the flight to Corulag while Timo chatted away about the bad Rebels. Namaru even seemed to realize something was wrong.

The ship's hyperdrive whined to life before the shuttle tore into hyperspace. Leoni and Daine held each other comfortingly before taking a seat and spending the rest of the trip in silence.

* * *

"So you attacked with Killer Squadron because we invaded a system close to the Death Star,"

Anakin shrugged. "That was half the reason. The other half is… the Empire is drilling a precious metal from Rhen Var. That metal is a vital part to the construction of the Death Star."

"Would sabotaging the metal be enough to disable the station?" Mon Mothma asked.

The Alliance Council had been holding the meeting to discuss the Imperial secret for almost five hours now. Obi-Wan could tell Anakin was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. The boy needed a vacation badly. Obi-Wan made a mental note to give him one the moment the Alliance received all the information available on the Death Star.

Obi-Wan was extremely surprised that Anakin had finally confessed. After driving himself insane over the problem for at least three months, Anakin seemed as if he would never tell. However, it was patience and kindness that finally broke the barrier. Obi-Wan was glad for _that_.

Still, Obi-Wan could see any emotional barriers within Anakin were quickly crumbling. This was a very delicate subject for him to divulge to his former enemy and it was showing. The boy had already broken into a sweat and his face had grown pale. Obi-Wan could see his hands trembling. The only thing left was for him to have a nervous breakdown at this point.

"Where exactly is this station being built?" General Dodonna asked.

Anakin paused before replying. For a moment Obi-Wan thought he wouldn't answer the query at all. "It's orbiting around Agon 7. Prisoners from Agon 9 are transported there to do labor. I selected the first ones myself years ago."

_That explains the sentiment on slavery_, Obi-Wan thought dully. What a messed up life his little brother has lived.

"What protects it? Surely something that important has an immense form of protection."

"A large fleet created just for the construction has protected it since its conception," Anakin answered. "It's called Nova Squadron. It's as large as Killer Squadron and Death Squadron combined and almost just as deadly. Also, three of the ships in the fleet produce a large shield around the Death Star. Not even fighters can get through. You have to have a clearance code to get in or out of the space station."

"It sounds impenetrable,"

"It _is_ impenetrable," Anakin said, almost proudly. "I made sure of it myself."

Anakin's barriers were starting to crack. Up until that statement he had been hesitant, quiet, and even-tempered. Now Obi-Wan was detecting contempt; Anakin was more than happy to say that the Alliance couldn't break the Death Star's defenses.

Leia chose to speak at this moment. "Everything has a weakness. Surely there's one for this as well."

"Of course there is," Obi-Wan said. "There always is,"

Anakin's face flushed, but he remained silent. Obi-Wan sensed him fighting to keep his temper low.

Luke suddenly seemed to get an idea. "Father, don't tell me you don't know how to get into the Death Star?"

Although it looked as if for a moment Anakin would take the bait, his lips remained closed. He said nothing and did not acknowledge Luke's statement besides a flicker of the eyes.

Finally, the council seemed to notice Anakin's discomfort and Mon Mothma called the meeting over. Obi-Wan, Luke, and Leia immediately approached the table as the council members began to stand. Anakin paid them no mind, leaving the room the moment the words left Mon's lips.

The three discussed their options with the council for a short while before agreeing that the best thing to do was to lie low and figure out a way to rid the galaxy of the terrible threat that Anakin had revealed to them. Obi-Wan led the twins out of the chamber in the direction Anakin went.

Anakin was nowhere to be found.

A little concerned that the stress was too much for the boy, Obi-Wan suggested that they look for him. The search ended quickly when Luke discovered him tinkering on a malfunctioning medical droid.

Obi-Wan and Leia entered the medical center and saw Anakin sitting in the corner, his fingers working nimbly. Luke watched him silently and looked to his sister and uncle for help. He wasn't sure if he should stop Anakin or let him continue.

"_I suppose it's just one of the ways I cope with life… and death."_

Remembering what Anakin had said on Tatooine about tinkering, Obi-Wan shook his head in Luke's direction, telling him not to disturb his father. Just as the three turned to leave, however, Obi-Wan was struck with an idea. He turned to face Anakin and walked up to him, kneeling down to look him in the eye.

"Anakin, why don't we do a little lightsaber training?"

Anakin immediately stopped his work and looked at Obi-Wan. "You… you mean a sparring match?"

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan replied. "Luke and Leia haven't received much training on lightsaber combat. Perhaps you, being their father, can help me teach them."

Anakin looked at the twins for a moment before nodding.

The four Skywalkers walked to an empty hangar bay where Obi-Wan had been training Luke before Anakin had joined the Alliance. Through the Force, Anakin's entire body was humming with anticipation. The moment they entered the room, Anakin immediately activated his lightsaber and looked at the other three.

Obi-Wan activated his own blade while Luke and Leia watched, completely mesmerized.

"Watch and learn," Anakin said to his children. "There are a many different forms of lightsaber combat."

Anakin began showing examples of different forms and stances, going through different katas. While Luke and Leia were impressed with his prowess and skill, Obi-Wan was horrified. Anakin's lightsaber style reflected that of a typical Sith Lord's style: aggressive.

As Anakin had said, there were many forms of lightsaber combat. While some were more aggressive than others, none were entirely hostile. Anakin's style, however, was ruthless. His style was based entirely on killing the opponent as quickly as possible. Obi-Wan was both disgusted and interested in his brother's style. He was certainly curious as to why Anakin would learn such a fast-killing form if he were a Sith; Obi-Wan would have expected a Sith lightsaber form to prolong the inevitable. He remembered Qui-Gon telling him that many Sith tormented their victims before finishing them off.

"That's amazing!" Luke said with delight.

Obi-Wan felt that he needed to interrupt. "Anakin, stop,"

Anakin paused briefly to shoot Obi-Wan a puzzled expression. However, Obi-Wan took the time to face the twins.

"Anakin's style may be amazing to watch, Luke," Obi-Wan told him. "But when you're on the other side of that blade, it's not as fascinating to watch. Anakin's lightsaber form is used by many Sith Lords. It is lethal and sometimes even barbaric. His lightsaber form is only used for one purpose, and that is to kill."

Obi-Wan heard Anakin sigh in exasperation. "Oh, give me a break. All lightsabers are _weapons_; of course their one purpose is to kill!"

"Your lightsaber is an extension of you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said calmly. "It is your life."

"Obi-Wan, that's Jedi fluff," Anakin interrupted. "The only reason why they say that is to soften the blow. In the end, they kill with their lightsabers too, just like I do."

"I am curious as to your style, though," Obi-Wan went on, ignoring Anakin's comment. "I would have expected something a little more animalistic. Instead you have the cold ruthless style of an assassin."

"That's because I _was_ an assassin," Anakin replied hotly.

"You—you were a what?" Luke and Leia stammered, caught off guard.

"Palpatine had me start doing assassinations when I was twelve, I think," Anakin shrugged. "I only did it for two years before he began sending me on other missions."

To avoid further discomfort on either party, Obi-Wan ended the conversation there by offering to teach Luke and Leia some Force techniques. Anakin, still a little irritated, sat out and merely watched. Occasionally, he would say something to Luke or Leia when they were doing something incorrectly.

The twins trained for an hour. Obi-Wan was quite satisfied with their progress and was about to suggest a break for all of them when Anakin stood up and walked over.

"This is starting to get a little boring, Obi-Wan," he said. "You said we'd do lightsaber training. So, let's do some lightsaber training. You and I can have a sparring match and let them watch."

Obi-Wan looked at his brother for a moment. Although a voice in the back of his mind was telling him otherwise, he agreed to spar with Anakin.

Using the Force, Anakin and Obi-Wan began tossing broken pieces of machinery around the room for use as obstacles. Anakin lifted some empty crates and placed them in the corner to serve as seats for the twins. The two then placed themselves in the center of the room. Anakin and Obi-Wan both did some stretches and then the two activated their lightsabers.

Anakin widened his stance and put his right foot behind him. He held his blade right by his face, pointing at Obi-Wan accusingly. His icy eyes glittered in the light of his weapon. His face was set in cold determination. Obi-Wan could read no emotions from him; apparently, lightsaber dueling was his specialty. No wonder he defeated Darth Sion so easily when no other Jedi had been able to.

While Anakin took on his aggressive stance, Obi-Wan went for a more passive one. He merely spread his feet shoulder-width apart and held his hilt down by his side, using a double-handed grip. He stood patiently, waiting for his little brother to make the first move.

He didn't have to wait long. The moment Anakin saw that Obi-Wan was ready, he charged towards him. In the beginning of the duel, Obi-Wan could see that Anakin was playing with him. Anakin was enjoying the match, not having dueled in a while. Apparently he wanted to excite his younglings as well, since they were whooping and cheering from the sidelines.

Obi-Wan took it in stride, allowing his brother to have fun with the match. However, as the two began to circle each other after the first round of fighting, Obi-Wan saw the sparkle in Anakin's eyes begin to fade. By the time they circled each other for the second time, his eyes were dead and narrowed. In the back of Obi-Wan's mind, he heard alarm bells going off, but he ignored them. Anakin was just getting into the duel that was all.

The next time Anakin charged, Obi-Wan did a double take. The boy literally vanished into thin air. Only through the Force could Obi-Wan sense that he had landed directly behind him. Obi-Wan expected him to stop before he reached his right arm, but Anakin's blade sank into Obi-Wan's flesh and he cried out in pain, leaping to the side to avoid having his arm amputated.

_Now_ the alarm bells were going wild.

Panting slightly, Obi-Wan watched Anakin as he took a similar stance to his earlier ones. It was a charging stance. He was going to move in again and finish the job on Obi-Wan's arm. What was _wrong_ with him?

_No sense in getting me killed_, he thought. _Playtime is over._

Obi-Wan immediately pushed everything from his mind and tapped into the Force. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the ripples in the Force. A wave came towards him and he jumped, opening his eyes to see Anakin's lightsaber slamming into the ground where he had just been.

Twisting in the air, Obi-Wan landed lightly and immediately swung his lightsaber in a horizontal slash. Anakin blocked it with a vertical parry and kicked Obi-Wan in the jaw. Obi-Wan quickly recovered and regained his footing as Anakin charged towards him once again. As before, Obi-Wan sensed him coming before he saw him. This time, Anakin used Force Speed to run around him, anticipating his dodge.

As Obi-Wan jumped back, he realized that Anakin had read his movements. The two swung their lightsabers at each other, and both fell to the ground in pain. Obi-Wan had slashed Anakin on the side while Anakin had given Obi-Wan a matching wound on his right leg.

Anakin growled in pain and anger before pushing himself to his feet once again. However, Luke and Leia both stepped in between the brothers.

"Stop it, both of you!" Leia shouted.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and closed his eyes, shaking the dark thoughts that had been plaguing his mind. The friendly "sparring match" had turned into a duel between a Sith Lord and Jedi Knight very quickly. Thank the Force Luke and Leia were there to snap them out of it.

Luke ran out of the room to get medical help while Leia remained between her father and her uncle, making sure they didn't try anything. Anakin looked at his daughter for a moment before collapsing on the ground once more and sighing, looking away. Obi-Wan merely continued to breathe in and out to calm himself… and to ignore the burning sensation in his right arm and thigh.

Five minutes had passed by the time Luke reentered with a medical droid. Anakin and Obi-Wan were treated and then taken to the medical wing. Leia left them alone while Luke remained.

* * *

Leoni stared at the ceiling of her quarters as she lay on her bed. She was on her husband's ship, the _Nomad_. She had been notified that she would receive her orders in about a week and to help on the _Nomad_ in the meantime.

Her mind could only wander to her younglings. Then it would occasionally drift to speculate where she would be placed. Sometimes she'd even start thinking about Breifin again…

The door hissed open and her husband entered. It was the night cycle on the ship.

"Anything to report from the bridge, Daine?" Leoni asked, not really interested.

"No," Daine replied and sat down beside her. "However, at least we'll be leaving this system. We'll be moving to the Yavin system next."

"What happens after we leave the Yavin system?"

"Well, you'll be reassigned by then," Daine said softly. "It takes at least two weeks to search through a system. But when we're done, we'll be assigned to do some other duty, nothing of great consequence unless the Rebels are causing serious problems."

"Perhaps they'll move you to intercept the Rebels on their new outposts in the Mid-Rim?" Leoni suggested.

"Maybe," Daine shrugged and lied down. "Although I believe Death Squadron is handling that right now."

"Who's been leading Death Squadron since Lord Vader's death?"

"Admiral Piett,"

Leoni sighed. "Grand Admiral Morlev should be leading _this_ fleet,"

Daine remained silent for a moment before responding. "I don't know what to tell you, Leoni. We'll find the grand admiral, that I will say. Those Rebels won't hold him for long."

"Is that what they believe?" Leoni asked her husband, turning to face him. "The Imperial officials believe that he's been captured?"

"It's a large possibility," Daine replied. "He _is_ a grand admiral. He's privileged with more information than most in the Empire."

Sighing again, Leoni returned to her original position and closed her eyes, crawling under the blanket. Daine watched her for a moment before turning the light off the two fell asleep.

* * *

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	9. A Quick Vacation

**Sorry it took me a while! I had a little writer's block with this story...**

* * *

Anakin remained silent as they boarded the _Millennium Falcon_. Leia had apparently talked with the Alliance Council and the Skywalker family and friends had been granted two weeks of vacation on Alderaan.

Leia was more than happy to see her foster father, and Luke, Han, Lando, and Chewbacca were more than happy to get the Skywalker brothers off of Yavin 4. Anakin just did his best to make sure he didn't lose his temper again. He was still recovering from the lightsaber burn Obi-Wan had inflicted on him. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, had been silent and meditative since their duel. Anakin hadn't seen him since the duel until they all met in front of the _Falcon_.

"Why are we going on a vacation during a war?" Anakin asked Leia as the _Falcon_'sengines roared to life.

"Because you _need_ it," she replied sternly.

"I thought I was the parent here," he said with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"In this case, I'll usurp your authority," Leia led him to the lounge and sat him down at the table. "Now deal the cards,"

Han shouted as he entered the lounge. "Now wait, you're not playing sabacc without me!"

"Shouldn't you be in the cockpit getting this bucket of bolts out of here?" Anakin rolled his eyes.

"No," Han shook his head. "I've got to wait for another passenger."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked. "Everyone's here, aren't they? Well, there's Leia, Father, Uncle Ben, Artoo, Threepio, Chewie's in the cockpit, there's Lando…"

Luke's brow furrowed and then he said, "Wait, I don't see Han."

"What are you talking about laser brain, I'm right here!" Han said.

"Oh, whoops, sorry," Luke laughed. "I just thought you were some brainless pilot."

Han proceeded to cuss out Luke in Huttese while everyone laughed. Their laughter increased tenfold when Anakin added, "Luke, Han _is_ a brainless pilot."

The laughter died, however, when the last passenger boarded. Luke and Leia immediately stood, recognizing the woman by the description Obi-Wan had provided. Anakin remained seated, too shocked to do anything else.

Obi-Wan walked towards the woman and smiled. "I didn't know you were coming along, Mother."

Shmi tossed a nervous glance towards Anakin before focusing on Obi-Wan. "Well, the Alliance Council told me that all the Skywalker family was being sent to Alderaan. Is it for a mission?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "It's a vacation. You definitely deserve one,"

Anakin snorted.

Lando quickly said to Han, "Well, I think that's everyone, Han, why don't we _go_ now?"

"Right," Han nodded and yelled down the hall, "Chewie, let's go."

Everyone heard a grunt in Shyriiwook in response before the _Falcon_ began to move. Han sighed and sat down at the table with Anakin. "Come on, let's play some sabacc,"

Anakin grabbed the deck irritably and began shuffling. Lando joined the pair along with Chewbacca after the _Falcon_ entered hyperspace. Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan were talking with the woman while Artoo and Threepio argued over something.

Han quickly won the first game, leaving Lando and Chewbacca aggravated. Anakin sighed and stared at his cards darkly. Things were bad enough with the Death Star being revealed, but now, to add insult to injury, he had to go on a forced vacation with a lying slave woman.

The _nerve_ that woman had to claim she was his mother! He didn't need a mother; he wasn't weak. He could take care of himself without parents, without siblings, without friends… he had learned the hard way to only rely on himself. He had his own younglings to take care after all.

Luke and Leia laughed as the woman told them some story about Obi-Wan when he was a child. Upon hearing the topic of the conversation, Han, Lando, and Chewie grew interested and walked over to listen. Anakin stood to leave when Obi-Wan walked over.

"Anakin, let's go," he said softly, motioning towards the hallway leading to the cockpit.

For once Anakin was grateful Obi-Wan was a Jedi; it made him far more observant than the rest. The pair walked to the cockpit and then sat down. Both remained silent for a moment before Obi-Wan asked, "Is it because of Sion? Is your attachment with him somehow affecting you when it comes to Mother?"

Anakin said nothing, but Obi-Wan remained patient… at least for a short while. Eventually he sighed sadly and placed his hands on Anakin's arms. "Anakin, _please_, I want to _help_ you, but I can't if you don't _talk_ to me."

"I… I don't get it. Why do you care so much?" Anakin finally asked.

"I care because you're my brother," Obi-Wan said in a desperate tone. "I care because I love you."

"You—you _do_?"

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into a gentle hug, saying, "Of course I do. Now Anakin, talk to me."

"I _hate_ her." Anakin snarled. "I hate everything she says and everything she does. She _lies_, Obi-Wan. She's a _slave_. She can't possibly be my mother or yours."

"Why?"

"Because I don't _need_ a mother," Anakin snapped. "And I think you deserve better than a weak little slave."

"She couldn't help being a slave," Obi-Wan replied.

"People are born into a certain caste, Obi-Wan," Anakin explained for what seemed the umpteenth time. "Hers is lower than yours. The strong live to rule and the weak live to be ruled. You are strong. She is weak. She _can't_ be your mother."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath before pulling Anakin at arm's length in order to give him eye contact. "Anakin, listen to me. Not everything Palpatine says is law. Do you really believe that the Jedi are evil? I'm a Jedi. Am I evil? As such, what Palpatine has told you about the laws of this galaxy is not going to be all correct. It doesn't _matter_ what _caste_ someone is born into. The point is that the person is a _person_, whether he or she is a slave or smuggler or politician or secretary or anything. Luke started as a moisture farmer before he joined the Rebel Alliance. Han, Lando, and Chewbacca were smugglers. Do you think they are less worthy because of how they started? It doesn't matter how someone is _born_; what matters is what they do with their lives. I started as the son of a nobleman and now look at me. I'm a Jedi Knight. You were born a slave if I recall correctly Anakin, and look at you now."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan before he found that he couldn't bear to look into the man's eyes anymore. He instead opted for looking at his boots.

What Obi-Wan said did make sense… but… but it wasn't…

Groaning, Anakin collapsed on the pilot's chair. "I _hate_ my life…"

A soft smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face and he put a reassuring hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You've still got me, Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, Chewbacca, your mother… the list goes on and on. You're not alone anymore, Anakin."

"I still can't like her Obi-Wan," Anakin shook his head. "Even if she is my mother, she still left me to be a slave on Kessel. How can any mother do that? How could she just _leave_ me?"

"She couldn't help it, Anakin," Obi-Wan answered. "Just like she couldn't help being captured by bounty hunters and leaving me behind."

Anakin sighed and leaned against the chair. "Don't expect me to suddenly love her and hug her and call her _Mommy_, because I won't."

"Just understand what I've told you, Anakin, and don't be hateful,"

"Fine,"

Obi-Wan's smile grew and he stood. "Well, I advise you get some sleep."

"How are your wounds?" Anakin asked before he could stop himself.

Obi-Wan stiffened, but only slightly. "They're healing nicely. How about yours?"

"Just like you, it's healing."

Obi-Wan offered a stiff nod and turned to leave. Something in Anakin burst and he suddenly wanted to hurt Obi-Wan. He didn't even know why. Maybe it was the last remnant of his childhood trying to grasp something familiar. Pain was familiar after all. "Some Jedi you are, you know. I thought Jedi don't lose control and hurt people. You hurt me."

Obi-Wan immediately turned around, a guilty look on his face. "Anakin, I… I lost control that day. I'm so sorry for what happened. It wasn't exactly the most Jedi thing of me to do. I'm sure Qui-Gon would be disappointed in me right about now…"

Obi-Wan's voice cracked and whatever was fueling Anakin's hatred vanished in an instant. He stood and hugged Obi-Wan, saying, "No, _I'm_ sorry. I'm the one who lost it. Qui-Gon's probably very proud of you right now. You're the perfect little Jedi… I ought to know. You drive me insane."

Obi-Wan chuckled softly before nodding and pulling away. "Thank you, Anakin. I'd best be meditating now… I still think you just get some sleep."

"Right," Anakin said sarcastically. "Just like you, who's getting a ton of rest too?"

"Oh, all right," Obi-Wan laughed. "I'll take a nap if you do."

"Deal,"

The brothers exchanged a smile and Anakin basked in the light around him. It felt so… warm.

* * *

Obi-Wan yawned and looked around the room. The _Millennium Falcon_ only had one designated area for crew quarters, which was on the opposite side of the ship from the cockpit. In the crew quarters were three bunks where Han, Lando, and Chewbacca normally slept. For guests, they provided sleeping mats, pillows, and blankets and placed them in the cargo holds. There were three cargo holds, and Obi-Wan and Anakin were placed in the Number Three Hold since it was just beside the engineer bay. In fact, the only to get into the hold was through the bay. If anything went wrong, the closest person would be Anakin, which showed Han's trust in the boy's mechanical expertise.

Obi-Wan's and Anakin's sleep mats were parallel to each other, the pillows facing away from the door. When Obi-Wan looked to his left, he saw that Anakin was still fast asleep. The boy had somehow twisted himself in the blanket.

Suppressing a snort of laughter, Obi-Wan stood up and did some stretches before checking his chrono. It had been six hours since he went to sleep, which was about seven hours since they had left Yavin 4. They still had two and half days to go before they reached their destination.

Anakin let out a soft moan before muttering, "See…"

_See? See what? _Obi-Wan thought before crouching down beside his little brother.

Anakin remained silent after whatever had been bothering him passed. Obi-Wan straightened and left the room, walking to the lounge and sitting down at the dejarik table. The lights were dimmed, signaling that it was the night cycle on the ship. They had switched over to Alderaan standard time already. However, Obi-Wan's body was still running on Yavin 4 standard time and so he was wide awake.

Settling more comfortably into the couch that curled around the dejarik table, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and began to meditate.

At least he had finally broken through Anakin's main barriers. It was quite an achievement and Obi-Wan was more than happy that it had occurred. It meant that Anakin would at least talk to him when he had an issue, even if Obi-Wan had to poke and prod a little.

* * *

Two and a half days passed a little sluggishly, but their arrival on Alderaan finally came. His mother gasped when she saw the planet.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "It looks like home."

"Tatooine?" Luke asked incredulously.

His mother laughed and shook her head. "No, it looks like Nihoma. That was where I used to live with Obi-Wan and his father."

"Wow!" Luke exclaimed. "You lived on Nihoma? I've heard that place is really nice!"

"Yes it is an amazing planet." She smiled at her grandson… whoa; hold on, did she even _know_ he was her grandson?

Anakin watched the woman a bit nervously after that thought went through his mind.

"And to think, if only I had gone to Mos Espa I could have seen you!" Luke said, his eyes wide as if the concept were mind boggling.

The woman let out a gentle chuckle. "That would have been interesting."

"All right, everyone strap in," Han interrupted. "We're coming in for a landing."

Anakin sat but was distracted when he heard Artoo and Threepio arguing once again by the communication console.

"Well I don't see how you could be so sure of it unless you viewed the message for yourself," Threepio was saying.

Artoo whistled and beeped in reply and Anakin laughed.

"Look who you're calling a tin head you mindless scrap heap!" Threepio blubbered irritably.

"Now what are they yelling about?" Luke asked.

"Something about a message," Anakin responded as he examined the communications console and noticed that there was indeed a message. "It looks like someone left a message while we were sleeping last night."

"What? Who left the message?" Han asked

"The Alliance if I read the encryption code correctly," Anakin answered.

Obi-Wan and Leia were by his side in an instant. Han landed the ship and then everyone else crowded around the console.

Anakin accessed the message and a hologram of General Dodonna appeared. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt your much-needed vacation time, but you must report back to the base immediately. I repeat, return to the base immediately. We have a very time-sensitive plan that must be enacted immediately."

"Good Force," Lando moaned. "Can't we ever get a break? It'll take three days just to get back there!"

Anakin sighed. "Well then we'd better be going."

Three days of grumbling and postulating later, everyone rushed down the landing ramp and was met by the Alliance Council.

"Come quickly," Mon said. "We don't have much time."

* * *

**Reviews encourage me to write more. :-) Seriously, they do.**


	10. A Tribattle

**Thank you to those who reviewed! Reviews help me update quickly!**

* * *

"What's going on?" Han asked as they were led to the briefing room. "We thought we were going on vacation!"

"I apologize for the abrupt interruption," General Dodonna said. "But this cannot wait. Killer Squadron is on its way to our system and we have formulated a plan to destroy the Death Star."

"Wait, wait, wait," Lando said, holding his hands up for emphasis, as they entered the briefing room and the council members sat. "When did Killer Squadron find out about us?"

"They are not aware of our presence on this moon," Mon explained calmly.

Anakin snorted. "Not yet,"

"What's this plan you mentioned?" Shmi asked.

Some of the council members looked awkwardly towards Shmi. It was understandable; she hadn't been with the Alliance very long, so she hadn't proved that she was trustworthy. However, Obi-Wan had already told them of her relation to him, Anakin, Luke, and Leia, and so they allowed her to stay.

Admiral Ackbar activated a hologram of Rhen Var. "This will be our main distraction."

"You can't sabotage the Death Star with the minerals from Rhen Var," Anakin immediately interrupted. "They were just finishing the mining there when I left. They're probably grabbing extra for storage and repairs."

"We never intended to sabotage the space station using Rhen Var," Admiral Ackbar replied. "However, we are going to attack the mining station on the planet."

"So they'll panic just like last time," Leia surmised.

"Essentially, yes," Mon nodded. "This was actually a recent addition. If we attack Rhen Var, it will distract Killer Squadron."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Anakin asked. "Killer Squadron is not to be trifled with. If you don't have a massive fleet ready they'll tear you apart."

"We are aware of this," Dodonna nodded grimly. "This is when we need your consultation, General Skywalker."

Anakin blinked. "General? I didn't know people were promoted so quickly around here."

"You are more than capable," Mon said.

"Wouldn't I be an admiral, though?"

"Jedi aren't admirals," Obi-Wan smiled. "I was told they were generals during the Clone Wars."

"Oh, so they got their hands dirty," Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Sounds fun to me. So what do you want to know?"

"We need to know who we're fighting. Can you tell us about any of the officers in charge of Killer Squadron?"

"Well I'd say your toughest challenge in a space battle would be the namesake squad, Killer Squad," Anakin said, mulling it over. "On a ground assault, Hunter Squad will be a force to be reckoned with… you've got a whole variety of soldiers in there. Hunter Squad is a very well-rounded group. Killer Squad is my best trained fighter squadron. It consists of ten TIE fighters, four bombers, two and interceptors. Each and every pilot was handpicked by me. They're the best the Empire has.

"As for the fleet itself and its commanding officers, you've got ten ships to contend with. There are eight _Imperial II_-class Star Destroyers and two _Victory_-class destroyers serving as frigates. The main destroyers are the _Annihilator_ which is captained by Seth Vaal, the _Vindicator_ with Capt. Reu Lai, the _Retribution_ with Capt. Terek, the _Extinguisher_ with Capt. Amavia, the _Silencer_ with Capt. Heckmann, the _Nomad_ with Captain… well actually I'm not sure about that one, the captain was killed in combat…, the _Grey Wolf_ with Capt. Argyus, and then the flagship the _Enforcer_ with Adm. Ran and Capt. Senesca. Then there are the two frigates, the _Monarch_ with Lt. Cdr. Kavos and the _Swift Liberty_ with Cdr. Averen.

"I'd say the officers to worry about the most are Capt. Heckmann, Capt. Argyus, Adm. Ran, and Lt. Moor. Capt. Heckmann thinks on his feet and never backs down, Capt. Argyus has the highest amount of Rebel ships destroyed, Adm. Ran knows everything there is to know about Rebel strategies, and Lt. Moor is the innovative and unorthodox leader of Killer Squad when I'm gone."

Obi-Wan was surprised by how much Anakin revealed. That conversation on the _Millennium Falcon_ really did help. It made Anakin trust them.

Dodonna nodded and then said, "Now we're going to need your help on something far more important."

"What?"

"Since we have no way of knowing the schematics of the Death Star, we are sending you alone to sabotage it,"

Obi-Wan immediately protested. "What? You can't send him alone in there!"

"Anything could happen!" Luke agreed.

"We have thought it over numerous times," Mon shook her head. "It is the only logical way. He is the only one who was privileged to the information on the station, and if we send too many it will look suspicious. He's the perfect saboteur."

"Well what do you want me to do while I'm in there?" Anakin asked. "Just find the big red self-destruct button? Show you a single little spot that can blow the entire Death Star to bits? This isn't a holo-movie, you know."

"Your job is all about timing," Mon explained. "If you were to sabotage it without any backup, they would find the problem and solve it. You are going to be transferred to the Death Star with a number of technicians. You are to locate the reactor core. We will give you a week and a half and then we will begin our full-scale plan."

"What's the full-scale plan?" Shmi inquired.

"The overall plan takes place in three different places and happens simultaneously," Ackbar stood and motioned towards the hologram of Rhen Var. "The first battle will be at Rhen Var to distract Killer Squadron. The next battle will be against Nova Squadron in order to keep them preoccupied. During that time, you will sabotage the reactor core on the Death Star and hijack a ship. The explosion from the station should take out the rest of the Imperial fleet."

"We summoned you all here because not only does General Skywalker have a job, but we have a duty for all of you," General Dodonna said. "Star-Hopper, you are to take to the field. We'll need your Jedi skills. You are the general in charge of the ground assault on the Imperial base on Rhen Var. General Calrissian you will lead Blue Squadron over Rhen Var. Princess Organa you are to be on the fleet's flagship, the _Deliverance_, to serve as the captain. You, General Solo, are going to lead Gold Squadron against Nova Squadron alongside Lt. Skywalker, who will be leading Rogue Squadron."

"You have one week to prepare yourself, General Skywalker," Mon said, directing her attention to Anakin. "Then you will be transferred to the Death Star. After that you will have seven days to sabotage the reactor core and then we will attack. May the Force be with us."

Everyone saluted and left the room.

Obi-Wan's mind whirled. He couldn't believe they were sending Anakin _alone_! There was a reason Leia asked for a vacation! If Anakin grew too stressed… if they pushed him too far, he would break! Obi-Wan loved his brother, but he didn't trust him on his own surrounded by Imperials. Anakin had given many indicators that he was loyal to the Alliance now, but he still clung to his past. If he were sent out with the Imperials, he may not _want_ to go back… he could even tell them of the Alliance's plan!

Anakin remained silent as they went to the general lounge area. R2-D2, Anakin's astromech droid, rolled over to Anakin and tootled. Anakin chuckled softly and patted appreciatively on the astromech's dome head. "Don't worry, Artoo, you'll come with me."

Shmi looked at Obi-Wan. "They didn't give me an assignment."

Obi-Wan sighed. "You're a spy, Mother. I did that so you wouldn't get into combat situations like this."

"I know how to fight," Shmi smiled gently. "I can take care of myself, Obi-Wan. I wish to fight for this cause, too. Would it be too much to ask for me to serve in your ground force, general? I'm not very adept at space battles."

"But—Mother, you—"

"You'll have to respect my decision," Shmi interrupted. "Because I'm not going to let you live it down if you deny me my right to fight for freedom,"

Obi-Wan laughed. "I should know better than to argue with you."

* * *

Anakin's mind was on overdrive as a million thoughts came and went. He sat down in the lounge area alongside everyone else. Han and Lando were talking about the plan to destroy the Death Star with Luke and Leia, though the twins would occasionally toss a nervous glance in his direction. Obi-Wan and Shmi began discussing something, though he couldn't quite hear what it was.

The door to the lounge opened and Artoo rolled inside. He beeped, asking about the mission to the Death Star. Anakin didn't even bother asking how the droid knew; he always found a way to follow Anakin everywhere.

Anakin just chuckled and patted Artoo's head. "Don't worry, Artoo, you'll come with me."

Artoo queried as to how.

"I'll figure it out," Anakin replied. "I've got a week to think about it."

They wanted him to sabotage the Death Star… _the Death Star_! Did they really think he would do it?

_Ha! Those Rebels are more foolish than I thought!_ A voice shouted triumphantly.

_We can't just betray them_, another voice whispered in the back of his mind.

_Of course I can, what's the issue? They're Rebels. I'm an Imperial. Does that really require further explanation?_

_They trust us! Shouldn't we return their trust? What about our brother, our son, and our daughter? What about our mother?_

The first voice snarled. _Don't even mention my mother._

_What about the others?_

_I'll bring them to my side. They're _my_ family, not the Alliance's. _

_Obi-Wan will never forgive us._

_I don't need Obi-Wan_, the first voice snapped. _I don't need _anyone_!_

_But it sure felt nice to get that hug…_

Anakin shook his head. The last thing he needed was an internal argument. But what was he going to do? The Imperial and Sith Lord in him was screaming for joining with the Empire once more. That side of him was suggesting that he should use the plan as one big trap for the Rebels. The lighter part in him that had started to surface in the past year was saying that he just gained the trust of the Alliance and his family and he shouldn't lose something so precious.

_The Empire is more precious to me than anything. It took care of me and made me strong._

_But Obi-Wan said that being strong wasn't everything… didn't he?_

_No, he just said that not everything Palpatine says is true. That's nothing new, he's a Sith Lord, but that fact about the strong and the weak _is_ true. Just look at the Empire and the Republic. The Republic fragmented into two warring factions and became weak which is why the Empire, which is _strong_, took over. It has now been reigning for fifty-three years!_

_But the Republic reigned for twenty-five thousand years._

_Yes, then it was strong. But it grew corrupt and fell._

_What if the Empire's corrupt?_

_Never. The Empire would never grow corrupt. If it does, it will be Palpatine's fault, which is all the more reason to kill him._

_But our family… what about our family?_

_They're my family. I will be the one to take care of them, not the Alliance. When I defeat those dirty Rebels I'll take my family home to Imperial Center with me._

_But—_

_No buts! Why is this so confusing? This is nothing new! It's sabotage! It's espionage! It's a trap! All I have to do is set the trap for the Rebels and I'm home free. These Rebels have always been my enemy and they always will be. Don't you remember what they did to _Padmé_?_

_Padmé…_

Anakin quickly pressed his fingers to his eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

_Oh, Padmé…_

_They took her away from me!_

_What about Obi-Wan? He's our brother!_

_I don't need a brother. I don't need a mother. I don't need _anyone_. Needing someone is a sign of weakness._

_Obi-Wan said that doesn't matter._

_Obi-Wan said nothing! He just said that no matter where you're born, it's your choices that decide who you are. I'm making my choice. I'm an _Imperial_._

_No! _Anakin shook his head vigorously. _We're not making any decisions yet…_

"Father, are you alright?" Leia asked, looking concerned.

"Y-yes," Anakin stuttered. "I'm fine."

_She's worried about us._

_She won't need to be once I return to my Empire. Don't you miss home at all?_

_I… I _do_ miss home… but we've never had a home to miss! Don't you see? Palpatine just raised us well enough to survive. He tore us to shreds in every training session! He stabbed us, slashed us, electrocuted us… if it weren't for See we would have been dead!_

_Palpatine _gave_ See to me._

_He only gave her to us to spy on us for him! She treated us with as much disdain as we treated her. But her nanny programming overrode that and she loved us and cared for us. She was more of a helpful figure to us than anyone else until Padmé came._

_Padmé was killed by Rebels!_

_No she wasn't, she _joined_ the Rebels!_

_Yes and that decision killed her! She was weak too!_

_Padmé was _never_ weak! _Anakin suddenly was filled with fiery defiance against the Imperial within him. _She was queen of an entire planet at fourteen and married me, an admiral, at eighteen! She held herself with dignity and showed compassion to me even though I was the very thing she had sworn to despise. She _loved_ me, which is a suicidal task that no one had undertaken until then, and it mattered to me. She was strong enough to make the decision to protect her children and put their safety over her love for me. She was stronger than any Sith Lord or any Imperial out there! And I love her! I love her, and our beloved children, and I will stand firm by them. It takes a strong person to go against the flow of a polluted river that has destroyed civilization and continued to wreak havoc for fifty-three years. The _Rebels_ are the real strong ones in this galaxy, and I will fight until my dying day for them!!_

Anakin breathed out deeply and stood. He had to move. He needed to do something to keep himself preoccupied. He looked over at Artoo. "Do you want to go to the hangar?"

Artoo beeped in the affirmative and the two left the lounge behind them.

* * *

Luke paced his small quarters restlessly. It had been a day since they were told of the bold plan to destroy the Death Star. The victory would land a crippling blow to the Empire, but it wouldn't destroy it. However, it would certainly garner its attention. It might do some lasting harm considering Darth Sion's recent death.

Still… Luke didn't like the idea of his father going alone. He knew that his father still had conflicted feelings. He had faith in him that he would overcome them, but there were some times when he grew extremely worried. On top of that, he had to worry about Leia, Obi-Wan, Lando, and his grandmother! They would be off on Rhen Var and he wouldn't know about their status until after his battle against Nova Squadron.

The whole idea was pressing on him horribly. He couldn't sleep at all last night. He could only imagine what his father and uncle were going through right now.

Sighing, Luke left his room and went to the hangar. Tinkering on his X-Wing would make him feel better. At least he would feel somewhat more prepared.

When he entered the large hangar, he immediately caught sight of his X-Wing. Beside it sat his faithful astromech droid, R3-D. The droid was an R3-series astromech, but it had an R2-series dome instead of a cylindrical head. This was because R3-D had gotten his first head knocked off during Luke's first space battle… it hadn't been a pretty sight.

Arthree was beeping and tootling loudly with a blue-and-white R2 unit. It was his father's, R2-D2. What were they doing?

"Arthree, what's wrong?" Luke asked as he walked over. "We have some work to do on my fighter if we're going to be ready for the upcoming battle."

The droid beeped and twittered, sounding somewhat flustered or irritated. Luke couldn't quite tell which one it was. He looked at the screen that translated the droid's binary speech and the words slid across: HE IS TRYING TO TOUCH THE X-WING.

"What? Artoo, what are you doing to my fighter?" Luke asked.

Artoo beeped and Luke's translator pad said: I AM IMPROVING IT. ANAKIN TOLD ME TO DO SO.

"Father told you?"

YES.

YOU ARE JUST AN R2-SERIES WITH A MALFUNCTIONING MAINFRAME. Arthree said to Artoo. I DO NOT RECALL YOUR MASTER EVER TELLING YOU TO TOUCH THE X-WING.

YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CANNOT SWAY FROM YOUR OWN PROGRAMMING. YOU ARE A MINDLESS BOX ON WHEELS. Artoo beeped loudly.

"Uh, all right, guys, let's calm down," Luke said awkwardly, not used to droids arguing.

"What's going on over here?" Luke's father said as he approached the odd sight. "Artoo, is that girl bothering you?"

Luke blinked. _"Girl?"_

"Didn't you know your astromech has a female personality matrix?" his father asked.

"Uh… no…"

"Oh. Well now you do." His father faced Artoo. "What's she doing to you?"

"Hey, wait, your astromech was trying to mess with my fighter!" Luke said accusingly.

"Ah, you were _improving_ his X-Wing?" his father looked at Artoo with a mischievous smile. "How considerate of you; after all, we both know that most Rebel ships are so out of date that many pilots are taught how to hack into other ships in order to survive. It's easier to steal someone else's fighter rather than to fly these old exhaust-bags."

"This thing has kept me alive for many space battles I'll have you know," Luke said irritably.

"Yeah, but is _it_ alive?"

Artoo tweeted in what was unmistakably a laugh.

Luke and Arthree both huffed at the same time in response.

"Come on Artoo," Anakin said, motioning for the droid to follow. "Let's go play doctor to some other ships that are gasping for breath."

Artoo whistled and rolled off, following Luke's father and leaving Luke fuming. "Yeah, well, when my ship beats your ship's _asteroid_ you can just blame it on your medical skills!"

Grumbling under his breath, Luke walked towards his X-Wing with Arthree and began to patch it together, glancing in his father's direction to make sure he wasn't watching.

* * *

**Please review!**


	11. Departure

**Yes, I'm back and I'm not quitting on this story! I just had a few lightsaber duels with Darth Real Life. :-) Enjoy!**

* * *

Anakin's nerves were making his stomach feel as if it were being wrung. Today was the day he would be departing.

The full plan and all its details were disclosed to him that morning. He was to fly the _Shadow_, a small and old Republic freighter that had been salvaged by the Alliance, and land on Nar Shaddaa. Then he was to take a shuttle on the moon that would go to Corellia and he would rendezvous with a number of Imperial mechanics who were boarding a shuttle that would take them to the Death Star. The whole trip would take almost three days, which only left a little less than a week for Anakin to sabotage the station. That didn't even include the traveling time from Corellia to Agon 7, which was about one day. Essentially, he had three days to hotwire the reactor core to overload and prepare himself to get the blazes out of there before it blew into a billion pieces _during_ a space battle.

Joy.

Artoo rolled beside him as he made his way towards the _Shadow_. The ship looked like a lightsaber with a curved wing attached to its left side. The landing ramp was directly underneath the cockpit, so when Anakin and Artoo boarded, they were just behind the pilot's seat.

Anakin brought up the landing ramp and went through preflight checks. He then looked into the hangar. Obi-Wan, Luke, Leia, and Shmi were standing closest, and Han, Lando, and Chewbacca were watching from the doorway. They had all wished him good-bye.

_May the Force be with you, Anakin,_ Obi-Wan said through the Force.

Anakin nodded and activated the engines. The ship did a three hundred sixty degree turn and then flew out of the hangar.

"Artoo, plot a course for Nar Shaddaa," Anakin ordered the droid.

Artoo complied and they were on their way.

* * *

The old ship rose gracefully and turned before blasting out of the hangar. Shmi watched her son go and then looked at her elder son, Obi-Wan.

"Do you think he will be alright?" she asked him.

"Anakin is a very capable warrior," Obi-Wan said as he watched the sky from the hangar. "He will be fine."

"I don't mean physically," Shmi clarified.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I don't know, Mother. I really don't know."

The whole issue was extremely worrisome. Shmi had never had a real conversation with her younger son. She had never gotten to know him truly well. She was terrified that she might have just seen him for the last time.

She wouldn't back down, though. Shmi was going to join her elder son and fight on Rhen Var. She had been practicing her shooting skills with some other Rebels in the training zone and had done relatively well so far. Shmi was normally not the type to enjoy fighting, particularly after being a slave most of her life, but she made an exception for this battle. Her boys would be fighting in the battle as well as her grandchildren.

The prospect of having grandchildren had surprised her greatly. Obi-Wan had told her upon meeting them. They were beautiful younglings. Shmi could see a bit of her son in each of them. Luke had inherited his father's amazing mechanical prowess. Leia had gotten his stubbornness and deep sense of loyalty. Shmi had asked Obi-Wan about the mother, but he didn't know her.

The family walked out of the hangar and went to their respective rooms to turn in for the night. Shmi sighed and sat on her cot, praying that Anakin would be alright.

* * *

The _Shadow_ was in hyperspace, on its way to Nar Shaddaa, a trip that would take twenty hours. Yavin 4 was rather far from Nar Shaddaa, but there were not too many planets in the direct hyperspace path, allowing for a quick trip. The trip to Corellia would take twice the time despite the shorter distance because Corellia was surrounded by planets.

Anakin sighed as he dug through his duffel bag. It had some spare clothes including an Imperial mechanic's uniform (complements of the Alliance Council), and then there were the items Anakin packed personally: his lightsaber, his data book, and an assortment of mechanical tools.

Pausing upon seeing the data book, Anakin took it out of the bag and sat heavily on the pilot's chair. He stared at the book in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. Since he had been raised a Sith Lord, he had never felt the need to record anything in his life because nothing ever felt important enough to do so. He had seen Palpatine and Sion put a plethora of information on Sith Holocrons, but he had never done anything of the sort personally. However, he did buy and keep a data book where he placed a single report filed to him when he was a fleet admiral.

As he stared at the report, he felt so lost. "Padmé, what do I do? I love the Empire, it's my family… but it was never yours. Can I really turn my back on everything I once stood for? Can I betray the Empire? Padmé… my love, they took me in and raised me. How can I forget that? How can I…?

"Please, Padmé, I don't know if you can hear me, but… give me strength, angel. Give me strength to go through with this. I know I'm not strong enough to do this by myself… please, Padmé. Help me."

Anakin placed the data book against his chest and held it tightly, closing his eyes as the tears leaked out. "I need you… I wish you were here beside me…"

Artoo beeped sadly. Anakin opened his eyes and looked at the astromech droid. "Oh, Artoo, you're the only reminder I have of the Empire now."

Artoo let out a low whistle, sharing Anakin's pain. Anakin kneeled on the floor in front of the astromech droid and hugged him. "I wish we could just go back… I wish we could go back…"

Artoo queried as to going back where.

"I really don't know, Artoo," Anakin shook his head as he continued to hug his companion. "There wasn't really a happy time except for when Padmé was there… that was the only time I felt content. I was at home with her, no matter where we were. And yet… I let her down. I betrayed her… and my inability to see that for decades only shows my foolishness all the more. Oh, Artoo, what are we going to do when we get to the Death Star?"

Artoo proceeded to explain the mission all over again. Anakin sighed and leaned back, releasing his grip on the droid and nodding. "Yes, yes, I know the mission… I guess that's why you're here, buddy. I need a reminder on occasion."

* * *

Leia's mind whirled as she spoke with each commanding officer of each Rebel attack cruiser, frigate, and shuttle, as she looked over information on the Imperial outpost on the planet, as she went over battle strategies, and as she tried desperately to attain some measure of inner peace.

The trip to Rhen Var would take one day. Preparations for that trip would take three.

The feeling of anxiety hung heavily in the air. Many things were plaguing people's thoughts. Leia had a great number of issues on her mind, including but restricted to Rhen Var. The constant thought that something would go wrong with the mission on the Death Star nagged her consciousness until she felt her mind go numb from the stress.

Everyone knew that the fate of the Rebellion rested in the upcoming battles. If they lost, Killer Squadron would obliterate their base and all hope of ever defeating the Empire would cease to exist. Even if the Alliance managed to survive the attack, it would be crippled so horribly that it would be nothing but a pathetic nuisance to the Empire, who would be more than happy to squish it.

Thinking about that only added to Leia's stress levels as she constantly came to the fact that she would be _commanding_ the Rhen Var attack fleet. She had had her fair share of battles, and she had taken command before, but Leia was not a military officer. She knew she was capable of undertaking such a task, but it did not make her feel much better.

She knew that the others were probably going through the same stress. Luke hadn't spoken two words together since their father left yesterday. Obi-Wan had been extremely reclusive, constantly in meditation. As for her grandmother, she had been spending every waking moment practicing her blaster capabilities. Everyone was constantly on edge.

Leia sat in the command room going over strategic locations on Rhen Var once more. Holograms angrily whirled around, giving her a headache. She had to be ready for this battle.

"You look like you're about ready to pass out."

Leia jumped and turned to see Han standing in the entranceway. His typical cocky grin was replaced by a worried expression.

"I have a lot on my mind," Leia said simply, returning her gaze to the holograms.

Han walked over to stand beside her. "You've been staring at these holograms for a day now. If you stare at them any longer, your eyes will start to radiate. Come on, let's get something to eat and then you can go get some sleep."

Leia bit back her irritation. "I have a battle to prepare for. I don't spend my time playing card games and gambling unlike you."

Han straightened his posture, looking a little ruffled. "Hey, Princess, I'm just trying to look out for your own well-being seeing as you won't."

"The fate of the Rebellion lies in the upcoming battle, Han," Leia snapped. "I have a lot more to worry about than just my _own_ well being."

"The Alliance can live without you for a few hours," Han replied.

"No, the Alliance needs me every second,"

"What, they can't live without you?"

"Han!"

"Come on, listen to yourself." Han said. "You're saying the Alliance can't live without you."

"I am _not_," Leia growled.

"I think you're better off in a room full of politicians," Han sighed dramatically. "You're just a sad case when it comes to battles."

Leia rounded on him. "Unlike you, I take things seriously."

"I take them seriously too," Han threw his hands into the air in a relaxed manner, driving Leia mad. "Now if you'll excuse me, Your Worshipfulness, I'm going to enjoy a _relaxing_ afternoon."

"Han—"

"Sorry, no time to discuss with the committee," Han interrupted before exiting.

Leia stood there for a moment, her cheeks flushed, before she went after him, saying, "I am _not_ a committee!"

* * *

Nar Shaddaa was just as grimy as it had been during Anakin's last visit. Even what was considered the upper city stank of lucrative illegal business and prostitutes galore. Anakin found himself avoiding the eyes of many women who watched him lustfully. Why was he always the center of their attention?

The moon floated around Nal Hutta, sharing its criminal legacy. While there were some inhabitants who simply tried to make a living on the moon, it was mostly convicts, smugglers, assassins, bounty hunters, and the like. Nar Shaddaa was called the Smuggler's Moon for a good reason.

Artoo gave a wolf whistle as an extremely scantily clad Zeltron walked past them. She paused and looked at Anakin approvingly, and Anakin blushed horribly, quickly averting his gaze and muttering curses in Huttese to Artoo, who only beeped in an innocent manner in response.

"Stop trying to get me into trouble," he hissed.

Anakin led his irritating astromech droid to a lift that took them to an upper level. He checked his chronometer and sighed in exasperation. According to the information from the Rebels, his ride would leave in twenty minutes. The ship itself was only five minutes away. What was he going to do in the time in between?

Artoo seemed to notice his discomfort and whistled in encouragement. Anakin only shot a glare at him. "What do you mean _everything will be fine_? You were trying to get a prostitute attached to me! What in the blazes would she see in me, anyway?"

Artoo beeped a suggestion on where to look.

Anakin ignored the comment.

Once the turbolift reached its destination, the two walked to the nearest cantina and settled in a seat in the corner. Anakin did a good job of staying in the shadows, merely enjoying his drink and ignoring everyone else. He was doing such a tremendous job of pretending nothing else mattered that he lost track of the time.

When Artoo began to prod him and whistle incessantly, Anakin finally referenced his chronometer and nearly choked on his drink. The ship was going to leave in less than a minute!

The pair tore over to the shipyard where their ride sat waiting.

The ship was a brown and blue _Dynamic_-class light freighter. It looked like a semicircle and a rectangle attached together by a long horizontal metal pole which ended in a turret on each side. While the semicircle was attached to the back of the pole, the front had three rectangular pieces sticking out; the longest in the center, and then one on each side, both the same length. The center one and the right one were attached to each other, while the left was not. The landing ramp was between the center one and the right one, and it lowered upon their arrival.

Its engines were humming. Anakin and Artoo quickly boarded. The pilot, a Rebel informant, checked them over and then returned to the cockpit.

"Thank the Force we're leaving," Anakin panted. He had only spent an hour on the moon but he was more than happy to go. Now he had to sit on this ship for two days…

* * *

_Day 3_

Luke looked forlornly at the holographic calendar. He had begun to count the days for the attack when his father had left. Day one was the day he left. Now it was day three.

Leia had been spending her time going over every tactical idea and/or advantage she could study over the past three days. Luke simply went back to the hangar and tinkered on his X-Wing, fine-tuning all of its components and talking with Arthree (who he now knew was a _girl_).

"Why didn't you ever tell me you were a girl?" Luke asked, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "All these years I thought you were a _guy_."

Arthree beeped in what clearly was amusement. The translation simply read: YOU NEVER ASKED.

Luke moaned and rolled his eyes. Even in droids women were confusing and frustrating. "Let's just check over the X-Wing, shall we?"

* * *

So far the trip had been rather uneventful. The pilot, a black furred feline, had mostly remained in the cockpit.

The pilot wasn't exactly conversational. Anakin had tried twice to spark a conversation with him to no avail. It was almost like trying to speak to himself when he was younger; he had had no social skills whatsoever… as well as no interest in learning them.

He was suddenly glad that Artoo came with him. The droid, despite being annoyingly mischievous at times, was great company and Anakin's only grounding force in the sea of anxiety coursing through him.

Artoo broke the silence by asking what Anakin was planning to do to the Death Star. Anakin merely shrugged. Artoo persisted, asking him what his schedule was going to be. Anakin knew the droid was just trying to keep his mind occupied on the mission, but he really didn't want to talk about it. Nevertheless, he satisfied the droid by answering.

"Well, I have to act the part, so I'll take a tour around the station to get a general understanding of the place on the first day," he said. "I'll only have two days after that, so I'm going to have to immediately get to work. Day two will be spent studying the reactor core and preparing it to blow. I suppose day three will be the moment of truth when I actually set the charges. And then we have the battle, and…"

Anakin trailed away, shaking his head. Artoo asked how they were going to get off the space station.

"I don't know, Artoo," Anakin answered in a hollow tone as if it weren't an important detail.

Artoo swiveled his head and watched Anakin silently before beeping sadly and softly. He rolled over to Anakin and powered down beside him. Anakin nodded to himself, knowing that the droid understood his meaning clearly and didn't argue with it.

Three hours later, Artoo bumped against him, whistling softly to awaken him. Anakin twitched and then his eyes fluttered open. He looked at Artoo and then felt the ship shudder as it landed on Corellia.

Jumping to his feet, Anakin quickly grabbed his duffel bag before stretching and walking towards the landing ramp, which had just lowered. They were in Coronet City.

"Well, Artoo, let's go find that Imperial shuttle before it leaves us behind," Anakin muttered to his companion. Artoo beeped in affirmation.

The pilot walked down the ramp and laid a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "May the Force be with you,"

Anakin was so surprised the person spoke that he couldn't even muster a reply. It was the first time he had heard the guy say anything.

The Mashi Horansi pilot nodded, his yellowish gold eyes blinking, and then he turned to walk back up the ramp.

Artoo bumped against Anakin again to bring him back to reality. Anakin blinked and then shook his head slightly, walking away from the ship. The Imperial shuttle was in the same spaceport, so it wouldn't be a long walk. As he exited the docking bay, Anakin turned back and nodded towards the ship.

"May the Force be with you as well,"

He then walked with Artoo, passing four docking bays before catching sight of a _Lambda_-class Imperial shuttle. The shuttle was called the _Tydirium_. A number of Imperials stood near the shuttle, having a conversation.

Anakin stood there for a moment before hesitantly walking towards the other Imperials. He was wearing an Imperial mechanic's uniform, allowing him to blend in with the others.

"Ah, there's the last one," an officer said to the pilot. "Prep the ship for takeoff,"

"Yes, sir,"

Anakin continued to walk slowly and then stopped some distance away, pretending to be busy with Artoo. The officer approached him.

"State your name," he said.

"Breifin Tron, sir," Anakin answered, barely suppressing a wince at the use of his old nickname.

The officer verified the name on his list and then nodded. "Welcome aboard, Tron."

Anakin nodded with a strained smile and then boarded behind some other Imperials. It was so odd being surrounded by his peers and yet feeling so alienated to them.

"Hello there," a friendly voice said.

Anakin turned around and saw a young Imperial engineer. The man looked like he had just graduated from an academy. His boyish face was flushed with excitement as his green eyes sparkled. A crazy smile that could only be worn by naïve and inexperienced youth showed small dimples on his face.

"Hi," Anakin nodded, his heart torn to shreds.

"I wonder what this place looks like," the Imperial said. "I've heard so much about it. They won't even tell us what it's called! It must be really important. If only my parents could see me now; they'd be so proud!"

"Do you still live with your parents?" Anakin asked painfully. This boy was so full of life.

"No," the boy suddenly saddened. "They were killed in combat by the Rebels when I was a child… but I know they would be proud of me."

"I'm sure they are," Anakin whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

"What about you? Who are your parents?"

Anakin paused and shook his head, unable to answer.

"Oh," the boy nodded understandingly. "So you're an orphan, too."

"You could say that,"

"My name's Druk Yularen II," the boy said excitedly. "Everyone just calls me Druk. What's your name?"

_Yularen_… Anakin's mind whirled. This boy was the youngest son of Admiral Wullf Yularen, a military genius. Anakin had served alongside Yularen a long time ago. Good _Force_…

"Are you okay?" Druk asked, looking slightly concerned at Anakin's silence.

"Y-yes," Anakin stuttered.

"Well what's your name?"

"Breifin… Breifin Tron,"

Druk bowed slightly in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Breifin,"

"You… you said your name was Druk _Yularen_?" Anakin confirmed shakily.

"Druk Yularen II," the boy laughed. "Yes, I'm the son of Admiral Yularen. I'm named after his grandfather."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one and a half," Druk answered proudly. "I was able to graduate early from the academy because of my stellar grades."

"Oh. I see."

Druk smiled broadly and then sat down, inviting Anakin to sit beside him. The officer walked by to assure that everyone was aboard and then the landing ramp was raised. They were on their way.

"Is that astromech droid yours?" Druk suddenly asked.

Anakin nodded.

"Wizard," Druk laughed. "I've always wanted to have an astromech droid of my own to help me with my projects. I guess I'll have all the help I need on wherever we're going. Do you have any idea where we're going? They've been rather tight lipped about it."

"I know it's a massive and top secret project, nothing more," Anakin lied. If only the boy knew he was talking to one of the most powerful military men—and the most powerful man in general—in the Empire.

"Hmm," Druk leaned back thoughtfully. "Well, either way, it will be exciting to see it."

Anakin nodded and sat in silence. Ten minutes after the ship entered hyperspace, Anakin and Artoo left the main sitting area and wandered back towards the cockpit. He knew he wasn't allowed in there, but he didn't care; he wanted to see hyperspace. Anakin always found it helped him ease his nerves. To avoid being noticed, he simply used the Force to trick the Imperials' minds so they would simply overlook him and Artoo without a second glance.

Artoo beeped sadly, knowing what was to come. Anakin gave a soft smile.

"Druk Yularen is a sweet boy," Anakin said conversationally to Artoo. Artoo once again made a sad sound, even quieter than before.

They both knew that Yularen would be dead in three days.

Anakin sighed and then looked determinedly out of the cockpit viewport. He stiffened his posture and narrowed his eyes in conviction. He brought a mental image of Padmé to mind. "We're going to do it, Artoo. We'll destroy the Death Star… and we'll go down with it."

* * *

**Please review!**

**Oh, and here is an important life lesson: never stick R2, Anakin, and Nar Shadda together. Ever. R2 is just too naughty. :-P  
**


	12. The Death Star

"_Now listen carefully, young one. There are six major zones in lightsaber combat. What are those zones?"_

"_Zone one is the head, zone two is the right arm and side, zone three is the left arm and side, zone four is the back, zone five is the right leg, and zone six is the left leg."_

"_Very good, young one,"_

"_When can we attack the Imperial base, Master Jinn?"_

"_Patience, young one; Jedi do not seek violence."_

"_But—"_

"_That will be all for today."_

Kata 1, Form I: Stand in opening position, feet shoulder-length apart, hands by the sides. Summon lightsaber to hands, activate blade and hold in ready position at the waist. Step forward with left foot, twisting the lightsaber in an upward slash towards zone three. Step to the side with right foot, bringing the lightsaber from the top left corner down diagonally, then horizontal slash to the right, attacking the waist. Strengthen the legs and stiffen the position for a defensive horizontal parry, the hilt to the left and the blade parallel to the ground at face level. Push the lightsaber forward and then swing the edge of the blade to the left, stepping forward with the right foot. Twist in a jung ma, ending the twist with a diagonal strike to the upper left with the left foot forward.

"_She's dangerous, Master. She'll get herself killed."_

"_She is learning earnestly and quickly, Padawan."_

"_But she is always looking for a fight. What if she gets into a situation and we're not there to save her, Master? What will happen to her then?"_

"_We must have faith in her, Padawan."_

Kata 1, Form II: Offer the Makashi salute by activating the blade and placing it vertically in front of the face in a one-handed grip in the dominant hand. Then follow it with the Makashi flourish by rapidly drawing an X in the air. Hold the opening stance by tipping the lightsaber downward, facing it towards the opponent. Take a step forward with the right foot, bringing the lightsaber straight up. Take half a step forward with the left foot and shuffle the right foot up while bringing the lightsaber diagonally down to the left. Twirl the lightsaber and take a third step forward, stabbing directly forward.

"_You both will be in danger if I remain here. I must go."_

"_No… no, please don't leave! You've just started to improve! Don't… don't leave us…"_

"…_I'm so sorry,"_

Kata 1, Form III: Assume the opening stance by placing the dominant foot back in conjunction with the dominant hand and lightsaber, and hold the lightsaber parallel to the ground close to the temple while the other hand is forward. Take a step back so the dominant foot is forward, performing a horizontal parry with the lightsaber by simply twisting the hand slightly to the left and then gripping the hilt with both hands. Then slash down to the right before performing a jung ma and bringing the lightsaber to the same horizontal parry.

"_A duel is like a dance. It requires grace, precision, balance. While it is lethal, it holds its beauty. Each move is done faster than one can see, but not a centimeter out of line."_

"_What kind of a dance, Master?"_

"_Well that would depend upon the opponent, Padawan. I suppose if you happen to stumble across a beautiful woman who is willing to fight, you could call it a waltz."_

"_What if it's a Sith Lord?"_

"_Then my suggestion would be not to invite the Sith Lord to dance in the first place. I hear they are atrocious performers, after all."_

Kata 1, Form IV: …

Obi-Wan paused. Luke had just entered the empty hangar.

"Hello," Luke said as he walked towards him.

"I thought you were with Leia," Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and hooked it to his belt.

"I was but she and Han started arguing," Luke replied, adding a rolling of the eyes to emphasize his point. "I decided to look for you instead. You were amazing with those lightsaber moves. Could you teach me some?"

Obi-Wan smiled gently. "You need your own lightsaber to do that, young one."

His nephew smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I could just practice with a stick in the meantime."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I'll teach you some of the lightsaber principles. Come, sit down."

Luke obediently sat on a crate in front of Obi-Wan. His blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Now… a lightsaber duel is… is like a dance. It requires grace, precision, balance. While it is lethal, it holds its beauty. Each move is faster than one can see, but not a centimeter out of place."

"I never thought of fighting in that manner," Luke commented. "A dance…"

Luke's eyes grew misty as he thought about something related to dancing. Obi-Wan merely shook his head and chuckled softly as he walked over to another crate where a glass of water and a towel sat.

"Do you think grandmother is Force sensitive?" Luke suddenly asked.

"Well, I don't know," Obi-Wan said merely to amuse Luke. He was rather positive his mother was _not_ Force sensitive. "I haven't sensed anything from her."

"Well then how did she manage to give birth to two Force sensitive sons?"

"I can't say," Obi-Wan shrugged. "Perhaps our fathers were the Force sensitive ones."

"Who was my grandfather, anyway?" Luke queried. "Father has never told me about him."

"I don't believe your father knew him. I know my father probably wasn't Force sensitive. Sometimes you just get one in the family, Luke, although it is far easier when it's in your blood."

"Well it's definitely in mine," Luke smiled and then looked down at his hands. "I'm nervous for Father."

Obi-Wan nodded understandingly. "I think we all are, but at this point the best we can do is pray. By now Anakin should be on the Death Star."

* * *

The Death Star was nearly complete. Anakin had never seen such a technological feat. The last time he had seen the Death Star was years ago just before he lost Padmé. Besides that, he had only received reports on it. Now there was only the exterior to the far right that had to be completed. There were rumors that the weapon itself was already fully functional.

The first thing he had begun to do upon arrival was tour the space station. Unfortunately, Yularen followed him, adding his own excited commentary the whole way through.

Anakin examined the core facility as the boy stood beside him. He saw the consoles and how they connected to the different functions of the core. Immediately he began devising a way to override the security and then overload the systems…

"This is amazing," Druk whispered in awe. "We truly are blessed to have such an incredible Empire, aren't we? I mean, look at this place! It's colossal!"

The boy's excitement did little to ease Anakin's feelings on the subject, particularly since Yularen would be going down with his amazingly colossal place in less than three days. The thought of it tied a knot in his stomach; he had known Wullf Yularen well, and the last thing he wanted was to kill his son.

"Where's your astromech droid, anyway?" Druk asked.

"He's in my quarters powered off for the time being," Anakin lied. Artoo was actually obtaining schematics to the core from the central computer.

"Oh. Well I've heard that there's actually a place where there are restaurants and the like. It's in this sector on Decks 67 through 69. Do you want to go there for dinner? I got a recommendation for a Hard Heart Cantina on Deck 69."

The idea of simply enjoying himself was extremely tempting, but not tempting enough to convince him to do it. He knew his mission, and the last thing he needed was a distraction. "Sorry, Yularen, I'm afraid I can't. I have a lot of preparations to do for tomorrow."

Druk looked somewhat crestfallen but smiled nonetheless. "Oh, that's okay. I suppose I'll be seeing you at breakfast, then?"

"Yes,"

Druk exited the room, leaving Anakin alone. Anakin then immediately began to check the consoles before activating his comlink. "Artoo, how's it going?"

Artoo beeped and tweeted in response. He had gotten the necessary schematics. Anakin smiled and nodded. "All right, I'll retire to my quarters, then."

* * *

The attack force was orbiting Yavin 4 waiting for departure. Leia, Obi-Wan, Shmi, and Lando stood in the command center of the _Deliverance_, which would serve as the flagship for the Rebel fleet going to Rhen Var. A life-sized hologram of Luke, Han, and Chewbacca stood in front of them.

"We'll be leaving for Nova Squadron two hours before you depart," Luke said. He was wearing his orange flight suit, his helmet slung under his left arm.

Obi-Wan nodded. "May the Force be with you all,"

"And with you," Luke responded and the holograms fizzled out.

Lando sighed heavily. "Well, it all comes down to this, I suppose. You'll find me in the hangar preparing my ship."

"When do we leave?" Obi-Wan's mother asked.

"In three hours," Leia answered.

Shmi looked worriedly at the empty space where Luke had been standing. "That means Luke's fleet departs in an hour…"

She trailed off and shook her head before closing her eyes. She then opened them again, taking a deep breath. Determination and confidence in her grandson sparkled in her brown eyes, bringing Obi-Wan some comfort. He was concerned for his nephew as well.

He was concerned for all of them. This mission was extremely precarious; each outcome relied on the other. If his little brother failed to sabotage the Death Star, both battles would be meaningless. If the attack on Rhen Var failed, then Nova Squadron would receive reinforcements, namely that of Killer Squadron. If the siege against Nova Squadron resulted in defeat, they might notice the sabotage to the reactor core and neutralize it, therefore effectively making their efforts inconsequential. Every party had to accomplish their goal or the overall victory would be an impossible outcome.

Everyone in his family was in a very dangerous role of the battle. He was leading the ground assault personally on Rhen Var. His mother would be fighting alongside him. His nephew would be leading Rogue Squadron, one of the most prestigious and talented fighter squadrons in the Rebel Alliance, and his niece would be in charge of the fleet attacking Rhen Var. To top it all off, his baby brother was in the heart of two battles, one of which relied entirely upon him.

Obi-Wan hoped that they would all be able to pull through it. He found his heartbeat rushing as if he had run a kilometer. He couldn't focus well, so he walked to a private room and began to meditate, trying to focus his mind.

* * *

_He was scared of them. They were too bright, too warm. The woman watched him gently, her smooth face creasing slightly as she smiled._

"_Come, child," she said._

_He had to do his mission. He was instructed to do this. They had already seen him; he was already failing. He _couldn't_ fail._

"_Everything will be all right," the woman said in her soft whispers. "Come to the light, child."_

_No… no, he was a shadow. He had to be a _shadow_._

_A sob escaped him, scaring himself more than anything else. He never cried on a mission. He felt his grip loosening, his resolve failing._

"_Come back to the light, beautiful child," the woman held out her arms welcomingly. "Leave the darkness behind you."_

_He couldn't…_

"_Do not despair,"_

_He _couldn't_…_

"_Come back, child,"_

Suddenly the memory changed. What was to come afterward did not. The woman walked towards him, placing her delicate hands on his shoulders as he trembled.

"_They need you, child,"_

"I can't," he sobbed in his young voice.

"_You cannot abandon them,"_

"Stop it," he tried to shake her off feebly, but her crystal blue eyes held him steady.

"_Come back to the light, beautiful child," she repeated. "Do not abandon them. Do not hide in the shadows. Let the warmth fill you, beautiful child. Let their love embrace you."_

"Nothing makes sense anymore," he trembled as tears fell unceasingly from his eyes. "Nothing makes sense… why can't this all stop?"

"_Shh," she placed a pale finger on his lips. "The journey of light is difficult and long, child. You have walked in the darkness for so long the light is terrifying. But you have your companions, your family… you are not alone, child. O infant of darkness, return to the light."_

And then the memory continued. The woman walked back to her proper place, and he lashed out.

_Return to the light, beautiful child… come back to the light…_

Anakin awoke with a jolt, tears still trailing down his cheeks. Artoo was by his side in an instant, beeping softly. Anakin merely shook his head and began to cry softly.

"_You slaughtered the angels. You're a _demon_."_

Artoo once again inquired what was wrong. Anakin still couldn't answer. Eventually he managed to shake the thought out of his mind and he patted Artoo's dome reassuringly.

"I'm okay," he whispered and stood. "I'm okay…"

Anakin exited the room and Artoo followed him silently. It was in the middle of the night cycle on the Death Star. His shift was sleeping.

He still couldn't get the images out of his mind, though there were no sounds. It was almost as if he were watching pictures from an old album. He could still see the beautiful elegant woman standing before him, seeming to radiate light and warmth. Her beautiful straight blonde hair was partly tied, allowing it to trail down her shoulders and back all the way to her waist. Her crystal blue eyes were slender and knowing. Everything about her seemed tall and graceful. Everything about her seemed delicate. Everything about her seemed so _right_.

But it had been so _wrong_.

Anakin couldn't believe himself. He had pushed past these memories of his early teenage years long ago and yet they were resurfacing. He had no See to help him this time… but he did have Artoo.

He faced the little astromech droid and sighed. Artoo still reminded him of Ceddge at times. He could still sense the surprise and odd joy which emanated from Ceddge at receiving a gift as simple as a gold band that day so many years ago. He could still remember the joy he had felt upon receiving a gift in return.

He could still feel the pain that stabbed his heart when he thought of how Ceddge had died.

The two had been close for a long time. While they were both Sith Lords, they held a fondness for each other. Ceddge in the beginning had been cold and distant, but after a time began to warm up to Anakin. He had treated Anakin's wounds when he was too injured to do so on his own. Then he began to give friendly words of advice. Then Anakin began to reciprocate it, offering mild humor. Then Anakin had given the gift, and their friendship blossomed. The two always looked out for each other's back whenever they could.

And now Ceddge was dead at Anakin's hand.

Anakin sighed, leaning against the wall. Long ago he had come to terms with many things in his past… or at least so he thought. In the long years after he had finished his hunt for the Rebels and returned to Imperial Center, he had spent many hours in meditation. He filtered through many of his emotions and tried to put the past behind him. He knew that emotions such as despair and anguish would not help him with his missions (which at the time he was wondering if he would even get any), so he tried to push them down as far as they could go in the recesses of his mind. He would occasionally bring them back to the surface to use them as fuel for rage, but nothing more… and some memories he dared not to think about lest he lose control of his emotions altogether. Now his memories had apparently deemed it a suitable time to bombard his mind constantly, never giving him a moment's peace.

Artoo beeped softly once more and nudged Anakin. Anakin looked at the astromech and smiled softly, though the smile was only for the droid's benefit. "Why don't we go check on the core, Artoo?"

His friend led the way and his mind began to wander once again. Anakin looked out the windows at the emptiness of space and felt a void in his chest. He suddenly felt a longing for a normal life. He tried imagining it, but found that he didn't even know what one was like. He was longing for the impossible.

Sighing again, Anakin felt his eyes sting from unshed tears once more. He blinked slowly, letting them fall.

"_Do you ever…"_

"_Do I ever what?"_

"_Well… it's not my business,"_

"_Okay,"_

"_Do you ever smile?"_

"_Do I ever smile? No."_

It was true. Anakin never smiled. Not a true smile, at least. He always gave reassuring smiles, or smiles used as façades, or friendly smiles, but never true smiles. He never was genuinely happy enough to do so. He had almost smiled once, so long ago… but even then it wasn't complete, and it lasted for an instant. It was just after saying _I do_.

* * *

Leoni certainly hoped her children were alright. She last saw her husband two days ago as he left the system with Killer Squadron. Leoni, however, had been transferred to a top secret Imperial project.

Now as she disembarked from the shuttle, Leoni looked around her and found herself gaping in astonishment. She had never seen such an enormous space station!

Leoni walked through the halls aimlessly, looking out the windows. It was the night cycle on the station. She watched her reflection silently before sighing and walking towards her quarters.

Working on the Death Star would certainly be interesting.

* * *

**Please review!**


	13. A Meeting

**It's been a while... I think most of you already know by now, but for those of you who don't I had a stroke, so I've been a bit... delayed in updating, lol. Anyway, I know this chapter isn't very long, but I wanted to post something so I wouldn't leave you all hanging for too long. I should be able to update relatively soon. Enjoy!**

* * *

The trip from Yavin 4 to the Death Star was a day and a half, which was far too much time to be sitting in a small confining cockpit.

Luke had always loved flying in his ship. He was a great pilot, excellent according to his fellow Rebels, but spending a day and a half in his X-wing cockpit while contemplating what was to come was not a pleasant prospect.

Arthree said something, beeping into Luke's communicator. The translation slid across the screen in front of him. ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL AT DEATH STAR IS THIRTY-FIVE HOURS, EIGHTEEN MINUTES, FIVE SECONDS.

Luke laughed. "Thanks for the approximation, Arthree. Any way you can pick up a HoloNet transmission so I could at least listen to some good music while waiting?"

Arthree was silent for a moment before Luke suddenly heard music playing through the communicator. He turned and raised his eyes to stare at the astromech in disbelief. "I didn't think you could pick up HoloNet while in hyperspace, Arthree."

Arthree responded and Luke read the translation. YOU CANNOT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RECEIVE HOLONET TRANSMISSIONS WHILE IN HYPERSPACE. THE MUSIC YOU ARE CURRENTLY LISTENING TO IS MUSIC THAT WAS SAVED IN MY DATABANKS.

"Why would you have music in your databanks?" Luke asked curiously.

IT WAS SAVED BY MY PREVIOUS PILOT.

Luke furrowed his brow. "I didn't know there were other pilots before me. I thought I was important, Arthree."

Though Luke could not understand binary, he could definitely tell the rapid beeping afterward resembled laughter.

Luke's smile vanished after a short while as he leaned back comfortably in his seat. He hoped everyone else would be alright.

* * *

The fleet was ready to depart. Leia stood on the bridge of the _Deliverance_ awaiting the admiral's signal.

"Lando, is your squadron ready?" Leia asked over the comlink.

"Blue Squadron is ready to kick some serious asteroid, princess," Lando said with excitement laced in his tone.

Leia smiled and then nodded to the admiral. She then faced her uncle and grandmother. "Well, this is it."

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. "Yes, it is."

Leia couldn't help herself when she said, "What if something has already gone wrong? What if Father…"

"What if he cannot do it?" Obi-Wan finished for her. "I don't know, Leia, but we must have faith in your father. We must have faith that he will choose the right path."

The admiral spoke to another officer and then opened all communications. "Liberation Squadron, prepare for departure."

"Yes sir!" voices rang through the comlink.

"Course plotted, admiral," the navigation officer said.

The Twi'lek admiral then faced Leia as he said, "Let's go."

Leia stepped forward. "_Deliverance_, make the jump to hyperspace."

"Yes ma'am!"

The hyperspace whirred to life and the stars began to stretch as they entered hyperspace. Then the ship shuddered slightly and they punched into hyperspace.

Leia's grandmother looked at Leia. "We will be there in a day, yes?"

Leia nodded. "Yes,"

The three Skywalkers faced the windows of the bridge watching hyperspace and preparing for the battle to come.

* * *

"Sir, the hyperdrive is having some difficulties!"

Han glared irritably at the golden protocol droid. He didn't even know how C-3PO had gotten onto the _Falcon_, but there was nothing to be done about it since they were currently in hyperspace. "_Really?_ I hadn't noticed!"

His statement was accentuated as the _Falcon_ bucked and Chewbacca gave a frustrated roar from the cockpit. Han shouted in return, "I told you I fixed it, Chewie!"

Chewie grumbled to which Han responded heatedly, "It's not my fault!"

Chewbacca suggested dropping out of hyperspace to fix the hyperdrive and then continuing the trip. Han considered it. "I don't know… we're _leading_ Gold Squadron. We can't exactly be late."

Han then paused and smirked. "Wait; of course we can. It's just our style. Chewie, shut off the hyperdrive and let's figure out what's eatin' it this time."

* * *

Anakin was busy at work. He had sent Artoo to a security conduit to make a glitch in the system so there would be no stormtroopers around the console he would be tampering. He was currently studying the schematics for the core seeing how he could induce a chain reaction.

He could lower the ray shields around each section of the core. It would overheat within minutes, setting alarms off. If he could just override the security functions it would begin to make things rather explosive. However, he would also have to do a bit of improvising; the rumors about the weapon being operational were quite true. He just wasn't quite sure how he could access it from where he was.

He began to override the security protocols in order to gain access to the codes for the core heat shields and the weapon. As he went through the blueprints of the space station, he sensed someone coming and quickly erased all trace of his being on the console. He then grabbed his comlink and keyed in the frequency for the nearest security post. He had an image to keep, after all.

* * *

"This is security post Krill, block AD25," Leoni responded to a call at her post.

"Where is the security for the reactor core?" a man with a hint of a Coruscanti accent asked, sounding irritated. "There are no stormtroopers here!"

Leoni checked her readings on a console screen. "It says on the roster you should have three troopers,"

"Unless they're quite adept at being invisible, there are no troopers," the officer on the other end commented dryly.

"We'll send a force down immediately." Leoni said, cutting off the connection. It just figured that there were security issues on the day of her arrival.

She looked over the security roster once more and furrowed her brow. _Those stormtroopers must be really lax,_ she surmised. It said quite clearly that there were to be three troopers—TK-419, TK-420, and TK-421—on duty at that post.

* * *

Anakin went to Artoo immediately after the stormtroopers reported for duty. "Good job, buddy."

Artoo beeped positively in return. Anakin then sat heavily on his cot and looked over the schematics he downloaded. "With this information we should be able to blow this place to bits."

He then looked at his duty roster and quickly made his way to the engineering division working at the shield generator.

* * *

"_A Jedi is always in control of his emotions, Padawan. Always remember that."_

There is no emotion; there is peace.

"_A Jedi must know his enemy."_

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

"_We have to protect her!"_

"_Calm yourself, Padawan."_

There is no passion; there is serenity.

"_Stop. Think. A Jedi does not rush into things rashly."_

There is no chaos; there is harmony.

"_No! I'm not leaving you, Master!"_

"_You must, Obi-Wan. They do not know of your presence; only mine."_

"_But Master—"_

"_Obi-Wan, you are the last of the Jedi. You must live. Now go. Do not mourn for those who are joining the Force."_

There is no death; there is the Force.

"_I'm bored. Can we move on to the fighting?"_

"_No. You have to learn how to meditate."_

"_Don't _you_ ever get tired with meditating?"_

"_I was restless like you in the beginning, but I've learned that meditating is very helpful and rewarding. Now be quiet."_

"_But—"_

"_You don't _talk_ when you're meditating."_

"_Sorry… can we learn how to fight now?"_

Breathe in… breathe out…

"_You must learn to calm and clear your mind, Padawan."_

"_How do I do that?"_

"_By your own will, Padawan; you are in control of your mind. For this first test we will simply learn to clear our minds and calm ourselves. Now inhale slowly and then exhale slowly."_

Clear the mind…

"_Master, why do you meditate so much?"_

"_It allows me to calm myself and properly focus my thoughts."_

Calm the senses…

"_What do you normally meditate for anyway?"_

"_It depends on the situation. I've been told that the old Jedi used to meditate to attain a better understanding of the Force."_

"…_Sounds kind of boring,"_

"_I must admit I have my doubts on the excitement of the prospect, but that is not what _we_ meditate for. _We_ meditate to clear our minds, focus our senses and thoughts, strategize, figure out enemy locations, and prepare for battle."_

Prepare for the upcoming battle…

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked around him. He was sitting on board the _Deliverance_ on its way to Rhen Var. He tried to calm himself for the battle to come, but he couldn't help feeling unnerved. He had received proper training to be a Jedi from Master Jinn… but he was never taught how to use those skills while leading an army. He had always been a _spy_.

Qui-Gon had done it during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan suddenly found himself wishing his Master was still alive.

The door opened and his mother entered, looking concerned. "How much longer is it until we reach Rhen Var?"

"About a day, Mother," Obi-Wan replied.

She nodded, sitting on the floor beside her son.

"Are you ready for the battle?" Obi-Wan asked her.

His mother sighed. "I'm as prepared as I ever will be. I don't enjoy the prospect too much, but I have to do this."

"You don't have to," Obi-Wan said in earnest, wanting to protect his mother. He had just gotten her back after all. "You can just wait aboard the ships and let us do the dirty work. You're just a spy, Mother."

"Don't try and talk me out of it, Obi-Wan," his mother replied defiantly, reminding Obi-Wan of his little brother when it came to stubbornness. He supposed that's where Anakin got it from. "I may not like it, but I'm doing it. I have to do this."

"Why do you _have_ to?"

"Because I feel obligated to," she replied. "Everyone in the family is risking his or her life and I would be selfish to hide away on Yavin 4 when even my grandchildren, who are far too young to be doing this in my opinion, are _leading_ these assaults. Besides, I know what it's like to want to fight for your freedom."

Obi-Wan nodded, understanding her explanation, but still not liking it.

* * *

Anakin sighed. He was lounging on his bed in the room provided for him, brooding once more.

He really didn't like this feeling. He normally had everything in control… but this was completely out of his control. He didn't like this feeling at all.

Memories of his Empire were bombarding him constantly now, reminding him of everything he was turning against. It reminded him of everyone he would kill with this move… all for Rebels who squabbled and took Padmé away from him.

Shaking his head, Anakin groaned and shot into a sitting position. No, they didn't take Padmé away… she _joined_ them.

Anakin snorted. That didn't make it much better.

Although he had been trying to look at it in so many different _positive_ manners, it still felt revolting. Padmé chose the Alliance over him.

Why? Oh, Force, _why_?

He _hated_ this! These thoughts had pestered him when Padmé had first been found dead, but he had long since come to terms with it… at least he _thought _he had. His newfound loyalty to the Alliance was digging it back up. Everything was so _wrong_.

His comlink chimed, leaving him more irritated than ever. He grabbed it and answered, "Yes?"

"Breifin, is that you?"

Anakin suppressed a moan. It was Druk again. "I'm here, Druk. Do you need something?"

"How about you join me at the Hard Heart Cantina, Breifin? I've met all sorts of new people and one in particular really wants to see you."

"Why would that be?" Anakin grumbled, not wanting to go at all.

"She says she's heard about you." Druk replied, sounding a little excited. "You must have made quite a reputation for yourself already!"

"I really don't feel all that well, Druk…"

"Oh come off it, Breifin, you've been using that excuse for over a day now and I've heard from people that you look just fine!" Druk interrupted jovially. "You can't swindle out of this one! Come on!"

Anakin did his best to make his temper _not_ evident in his tone. "All right,"

He cut the connection before Druk could reply and stood abruptly. He then reactivated the comlink. "Artoo, where are you?"

Artoo beeped in response, saying he was on his way back to their quarters.

"Well just get here and stay here; I've been enlisted into a dinner meeting, so I'll see you later."

Artoo beeped in the affirmative and Anakin cut the connection once more. He then sighed and slowly walked out of the room, heading towards the turbolifts to see what was exciting Druk and his "new friend".

The walk was uneventful, though his conflicting memories and emotions didn't cease their constant barrage on his mind. When he arrived in the cantina, he searched out for the boy's familiar bouncy nature. Sensing him at the bar, Anakin slinked around tables and people, reaching the bar.

"Hello," he said as he sat beside Druk.

Druk leapt in surprise. "Wow, you're quiet! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," Anakin said, reveling in the fact that he gave Druk a scare—at least he got _some_ satisfaction after being dragged into this mess.

Druk laughed and sipped at his neon blue drink. "Want a Twi'lek Fizz?"

"No thanks," Anakin shook his head. "I prefer not to drink."

"Suit yourself," Druk shrugged. "You don't know what you're missing, though!"

"So who wanted to see me?" Anakin asked.

"Oh! She's over there." Druk pointed to a patron who had her back to them, sipping at juri juice.

Sighing, Anakin stood and walked over to her. "Excuse me; did you want to see me?"

The woman jumped and turned around. "Force, you scared m—"

The two froze as they stared at each other, Anakin in utter horror, and Leoni in utter shock.

* * *

"Captain Jir, we're approaching the Yavin System," a lieutenant commander said.

Daine sighed and nodded, acknowledging the man. He didn't expect much trouble; this was just a routine check around the Oversector, although with the Rebel activity lately, they needed to be on their guard. Force knew what they would try next.

He certainly hoped Leoni was having better luck than he was, wherever she had been assigned. Even _he_ hadn't been told.

Daine exited the bridge after giving the routine commands for beginning their search. He entered his quarters and sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes and then sighing again. Hopefully the younglings were having a good time with his sister.

* * *

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	14. Where True Loyalties Lie

Lively music played throughout the Hard Heart Cantina. People were chatting away carelessly and enjoying themselves since they weren't on duty. Some gossiped while others simply talked about events happening recently. However, all conversation was interrupted when there was a loud scraping sound and a cry of shock.

"You—you're—" Leoni stuttered, gaping at him.

It was his worst nightmare. He had hoped, he had _prayed_ that he wouldn't see the Jir family ever again… so what had happened?

Anakin thought every curse he knew, hoping that whatever higher power was up there heard every last bit of it.

Leoni couldn't manage a coherent sentence, and everyone else in the cantina seemed to think it was just some incident and returned to their own conversations and drinks. Druk, however, was curious and approached the two.

"I suppose you two know each other, then?" he surmised with a smile.

Leoni let out a noise that Anakin supposed would have been a reply. He then found himself making a similar noise and knowing it _should_ have been a reply.

Druk watched the two for a moment before piping in. "Unexpected reunion? Come on, what's the matter?"

Anakin groaned. Leoni squeaked.

Druk simply laughed.

Anakin's mind whirled. What was he going to do? He couldn't tell her what he was actually doing there! Oh merciful stars, _why was she even there_?

"Well?" Druk prompted.

Anakin finally managed to get his voice, and as he spoke, he found that his Coruscanti accent was beginning to return with a vengeance as if it just wanted to make sure any doubt in Leoni's mind was wiped away. Stupid, kriffing, blasted voice! "Eh… we… know each other. Excuse us."

Before Druk could reply, Anakin grabbed Leoni roughly by the forearm and dragged her out of the cantina, leaving the confused young man behind them.

The instant they exited into the busy area just outside of the cantina, Leoni rounded on him. "How can you—?"

"Not here," Anakin hissed, dragging her further until he took her to the turbolift and literally beat the console to call for a lift.

Leoni continued to gape at him. Anakin looked her over. She had never been out of shape, but she had always had some extra weight from giving birth to three younglings and then staying home for them, but that was all trimmed now. She was wearing the black uniform of a security officer once more, her blonde hair tied into a bun and any stray hair out of her face, and a blaster in its holster strapped to her belt. It was almost odd to see her in such a militaristic look once again – she had always enjoyed wearing soft feminine outfits after retiring from her service.

The lift arrived and the two entered. It seemed Leoni had finally gotten her voice back, and her eyes were glistening and bursting with thousands of questions that were barely being held back to wait for the doors to close. The moment they did, both began to talk at the same time.

"Where have you _been_?"

"Why are you here?"

"—I mean, you just—you went _missing_—"

"—I thought you had _retired_!"

"—and then all of a sudden you reappear—"

"—where are the younglings for Force's sake?"

"—do you have any idea what state the Empire is in?"

"—this is not the best time to suddenly be reappearing!"

"—and then the worry we had, _particularly_ after hearing about what happened to Lord Vader—"

"—honestly, can't you stay out of trouble for just a _little_ while?"

The two were panting for air after blurting out what had been bubbling under the surface. The lift sped onward to its destination as they stared at each other. Then they began again.

"What do you mean why am I here?"

"Things have been a… bit complicated, and—"

"_Complicated?_ How do you think things are faring in the Empire?"

Anakin took a deep breath. "I know things aren't faring all that well right now…"

"_All that well?"_ Leoni repeated incredulously. "What—you—Breifin, where have you _been_? What happened?"

Anakin paused. What could he say? He sure wasn't going to tell her his _real_ reason for being there.

Oh merciful heavens…

He couldn't blow up the Death Star with Leoni on board! It was bad enough with Druk and others who really didn't need to die, but Leoni—Leoni—_no_!

_What do I do?_ He thought desperately as Leoni awaited an answer.

"_You're my father. I'm _not_ going to let you get yourself killed."_

"_I don't believe it! I have a father! I actually have a _father_!"_

"_I've been having quite a few surprises over the past two months: A daughter, a son, and now a… a…"_

"_A brother,"_

"_I don't get it. Why do you care so much?"_

"_I care because you're my brother. I care because I love you."_

"_Since we have no way of knowing the schematics of the Death Star, we are sending you alone to sabotage it."_

Oh, _stang_.

"What happened, Breifin?" Leoni asked again.

Anakin looked at her, dread filling him. What was he going to say? Emptiness ate away at him. He couldn't… he couldn't do this! He would _not_ have Leoni killed… but could he tell her about the plan, then? Leoni was an _Imperial_.

_What kind of nonsense is _that_? _Anakin heard in his mind. _You're an Imperial too, moron!_

Was he? He thought he was doing this for the Rebels.

_Good Force_… he moaned internally. Not _another_ argument.

Padmé was a Rebel. Luke is a Rebel. Leia is a Rebel. Obi-Wan is a Rebel. Force, even his _mother_ is a Rebel.

But Anakin Skywalker is not.

"I…" Anakin felt his insides churn as his thoughts whirled and a plan began to unfold in his mind. He couldn't help but gasp as it punched the wind out of him just considering it.

He… he… could he?

"Breifin?"

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he brought his family to mind and then spoke.

"I have something to tell you,"

* * *

"With the Death Star fully operational no one will dare stand in our way. Not even the Rebels can defeat this."

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin sat at the head of the table listening to the other officers speak about where to test the Death Star now that the weapon was fully operational. They could not leave just yet since there were still many structures to be finished, including the outer structure itself, but with the weapon available it brought about an important topic for discussion that needed to be addressed.

Suddenly, there was a chime at the door. Tarkin gazed at the door, irritated with the interruption. "Enter,"

The door hissed open and two officers entered.

Tarkin shot to his feet.

One of the officers was a woman who looked unnaturally pale, although Tarkin could imagine it was due to her companion. The woman, who was obviously a security officer, stepped forward as her companion stood in the doorway.

"I am sorry to interrupt, sir, but—"

"How did you get aboard this station?" Tarkin demanded of the man standing in the doorway.

Lord Darth Vader took a step forward to stand beside the security officer. He looked around the room. All the other officers had stood the instant they realized who he was.

While Lord Vader had changed slightly in appearance, there was no doubting that it was him. His skin was tanner than when Tarkin had least seen him, and his hair was longer, almost reaching his shoulders. He seemed even thinner than normal, although even with his sinewy build Tarkin had always though Vader was rather thin. However, this did not change the way he carried himself. It didn't change his tall stature and his manner of making himself the most pronounced presence in the room, even more so than Lord Sion, and unlike Sion, Vader somehow knew how to manage to take command of a room without making a sound. Tarkin supposed it was his cold eyes.

Vader stood before them, looking slightly uncertain about something, his normally icy blue eyes seeming to frost over, but Tarkin could see a firm resolution and determination squishing it down by the second.

Again, Tarkin asked, "How did you get aboard this station?"

"I will explain everything in full detail as soon as I dismiss Lt. Jir," Lord Vader answered, looking at the security officer.

Lt. Jir eyed him firmly and then exited without another word.

"How—you've—where—?" one of the officers stammered.

"I have been held captive by the Rebels," Lord Vader immediately said.

Tarkin raised an eyebrow. "I have little doubt the Rebels were involved in your disappearance, my lord, but surely you were not detained for such a long period of time by their sort. You have dealt with far worse."

Vader gave a half smirk. "You are correct, Grand Moff Tarkin. I did not remain there unwillingly for long. You see, I used it as a chance for espionage. I convinced them that I had joined sides with them and gained their trust. However, I had to… reveal a few secrets to do so."

"What are you saying?" a grand admiral asked warningly.

"I am saying that they know of the Death Star," Lord Vader answered, and the officers looked at him in horror and utter shock.

"You—you told them about the _Death Star_?" Tarkin yelled. "Are you out of your mind? This is treason!"

"Still your unchecked tongue or I will remove it for you," Lord Vader warned sharply. Tarkin said nothing, but anger still coursed through him. Why did Vader tell the Rebels about the Empire's most important weapon which was still under construction? "I told them because I had to. But do you not see? It's the perfect trap."

Vader smiled and walked towards the table, motioning for the officers to return to their seats, which they did. Tarkin sat irritably. This had better be a good explanation.

* * *

"What do you mean the hyperdrive motivator is shot?"

C-3PO sputtered a quick explanation. "Well, sir, if you would just listen, I have been trying to tell you that the hyperdrive motivator began to show signs of malfunctioning approximately thirty-eight minutes after entry into hyperspace!"

Han kicked the wall.

"Sir, I do not see how kicking the wall will help repair the hyperdrive," Threepio said matter-of-factly. "After all, the component you just kicked is only a door which leads to a smuggling alcove, and—"

Han reached behind Threepio and shut him off, cursing irritably.

Chewbacca growled. Han grunted, folding his arms. "I know. This is going to take forever to fix. How are we going to get to the battle on time? I expected us to be delayed, but at this rate we'll miss the battle entirely!"

Chewbacca mentioned a planet close by that could have some spare parts they could use.

Han sighed. "I don't know, Chewie. Are you sure we don't have anything aboard that could fix it?"

Chewbacca shook his head, saying that he had already checked twice. He then grew irritated and said that they needed to land.

"All right, all right, don't get your fur in a knot," Han threw his hands in the air. "Let's just get this thing _fixed_."

* * *

"Are you telling me we have less than a day to prepare for an assault?"

Anakin watched the reaction of the officers carefully. He had to play this just right for it to work. "Yes,"

"Why didn't you inform us the moment you arrived?" Grand Moff Tarkin asked.

Anakin was tempted to strangle the man. He wanted to know more than what was good for him. "I make my own decisions, grand moff; I do not require your perception of what I do. You follow my orders, _not_ critique them."

"What exactly are your orders, then, my lord?" Tarkin replied, sounding a little less aggressive.

Anakin smiled and said, "Give me command of Nova Squadron."

"You do not wish to command from here?"

"This battle station is under your jurisdiction, grand moff, not mine," Anakin shook his head. "However, I still expect you to obey my orders."

"But what of the impending attack?" another officer asked.

"I have a plan," Anakin said. Here was where the tricky part came. However, he _would_ make them listen. Darth Vader was _back_, and he would make sure they knew it.

He had made his decision in the turbolift when he had been watching Leoni. He would not kill her. He would not turn on her. And he would not betray the Empire. He had been fighting with this guilt of betraying his Empire ever since he told the Rebel Alliance about the Death Star; Leoni was only the spark that ignited his love for the Empire to stomp out any thoughts he had of betraying it.

He would get his Empire back.

"What do you suggest, sir?"

"You can use your precious weapon on whichever capital ship of the fleet you like," Anakin began. "_Except_ for the flagship,"

"Why not destroy the flagship first, my lord?" Tarkin suggested. "It would leave them in disarray."

"They will not be expecting us to know of their arrival," Anakin explained. "Believe me, Tarkin; they will be in enough disarray. I want the flagship _captured_, not destroyed, and Nova Squadron will handle that properly. You simply need to concern yourself with destroying the rest of the capital ships. Nova Squadron will handle the flagship and the smaller squads the Rebels will be sending to attack. None of the smaller ships can get past Nova Squadron, and the capital ships will not be able to handle the Death Star's firepower."

"What of the attack on Rhen Var?" a grand admiral asked.

"I will personally inform my squadron," Anakin replied, feeling delight in addressing Killer Squadron as his own once more. "You simply concern yourselves with your part of the battle, and I will handle the rest."

Anakin turned to leave, but then he paused. "Oh, and one more thing: This operation is to remain a secret; there are to be no transmissions between this Death Star and anyone, whether it is Nova Squadron or even the emperor himself."

* * *

Daine was a little bewildered. He had been sleeping, having had little rest over the past few days, when a lieutenant commander contacted him and said that his presence was requested on the bridge. Had they found something? When Daine had inquired, the lieutenant commander had simply said that there was an urgent message.

As he made his way through the hallways, Daine sighed and considered what could be going wrong. A million thoughts whirled through his mind. They were in an oversector, a hub of Rebel activity. With the state the Rebels were advancing anything could be going wrong. But then why weren't people being called to battle stations? What was happening? If this had to do with the Rebels… was it a discovery? Did they find information that could be used as a lead?

Daine entered the turbolift and awaited his arrival on the bridge. He brought Leoni and the children to mind. Whatever happened, he prayed he would get the chance to see them again. He always prayed for that chance whenever he went on duty. This time he was not so sure his prayer would be fulfilled. He was the captain of a capital ship in the second most prestigious fleet in the galaxy and the enemy was growing frighteningly stronger by the day. His chance of survival was beginning to thin with each new mission the fleet was given.

The turbolift stopped at its destination and Daine exited. He walked straight down the hall and entered through the door, which led to the back of the bridge. The lieutenant commander stood waiting expectantly.

"What is the situation?" Daine asked as he approached the man.

"Sir, all the captains are requested to join the holo briefing in the briefing room. You have been ordered to proceed to the main briefing room." The lieutenant commander said.

Growing more curious and concerned by the minute, Daine exited the bridge and took the hallway leading to the turbolift and took it to the level below, Deck 84. He exited and went to the first door on the left.

The briefing rooms on the deck were normally of relatively small size since there were so many of them, but the main briefing room was far larger, bearing the size of a conference room rather than one designed to hold a handful of people. The holoprojector in the center was larger than the average ones, but besides these details and that chairs surrounded the projector, there were no other differences in the appearance between the main briefing room and the others; it bore the same dull grey walls, floor, and ceiling and no other furniture or machinery in the room. However, there was a troop of mouse droids sitting the corner, awaiting orders.

Daine straightened his uniform and pushed a chair aside before pressing a button on the holoprojector, entering the coded frequency that was used for fleet-wide briefings.

Immediately, ten holographic men appeared, all standing around the holoprojector as Daine was. The man to Daine's left was Reu Lai, who captained the _Vindicator_. Reu was no muscular man to be sure, but his build was not fragile. He stood at about average height with slightly tanned skin, black straight hair which hung slightly over his forehead. To Daine's right was the commander in charge of the _Victory_-class frigate _Swift Liberty_, Kaelle Averen, a slender woman with piercing eyes, a rigid face, and no sense of humor to speak of in Daine's opinion. Beside her was the captain of the _Silencer_ Ronco Heckmann, a dark skinned man with a thin moustache and soul patch, and about just as much bounce in his step as was allowed in the Imperial Navy.

Across from Heckmann stood the captain of the _Grey Wolf_, Nekk Argyus, a blonde-haired blue-eyed prim-and-proper type of man who Daine thought would complement Cdr. Averen rather well with his apparent lack of humor as well. The captain of the _Annihilator_, Seth Vaal, and the captain of _Retribution_, Simetra Terek, stood side by side, both the same height, both sharing the same dusty blonde hair, both the same build, both the same face… _everything_. Daine had found it rather irritating that the twins found it endlessly amusing to trick everyone in the fleet as to who was who. Daine was certainly grateful that Simetra had gotten married; if she hadn't, there would be _two_ captains with the name of Vaal and wouldn't the twins just _love_ that?

Beside the twins was the lieutenant commander in charge of the other _Victory_-class frigate, the _Monarch_. He was the youngest, and though his name was Linnel Kavos, all the other commanding officers of the fleet just called him 'Little' Kavos. Kavos stood straight, his wide expressive eyes glistening as he watched the others. Then there was Toma Amavia, the captain of the _Extinguisher_.

At the other end of the holoprojector was the admiral of the fleet, Adm. Inour Ran. The admiral was a sturdy man who took no nonsense from his subordinates, but if his men did their part, the relationship was enjoyable. Unkihey Senesca, the captain of the _Enforcer_, stood to the admiral's right.

Daine looked over all the officers. The twin captains and Ronco had an unnaturally serious look on their faces. Kavos was watching everyone else to see how he should construct his own expression, and the rest looked curious or grim. What was going on?

"So nice of you to join us, Capt. Jir," Adm. Ran said, raising an eyebrow.

Daine flushed. "Sorry, sir; I was napping in my quarters when I was informed."

"Napping?" Capt. Vaal crossed her arms. "You'll be awake when you hear this, then."

"What's going on?" Daine asked.

"We were contacted by a fleet that, until now, we were not aware existed," Adm. Ran replied.

Daine raised his eyebrows in surprise. "We didn't know it existed? What are you talking about, sir?"

"The fleet is called Nova Squadron," Adm. Ran explained. "It's purpose and location must remain undisclosed, but I can tell you that they have made quite a few discoveries as of late."

The admiral paused before asking Daine, "You are familiar with Grand Adm. Morlev if I am not mistaken?"

Daine felt his jaw lower in horror. "What's happened?"

"Oh he is quite well if that is your concern," Adm. Ran responded. "So well in fact he inquired after you and congratulates you on your promotion."

"_What?"_

"The grand admiral has reappeared and is currently with Nova Squadron at this moment," the admiral continued. "He has specific orders for us, however. According to intelligence that he has gathered, there is to be a Rebel strike on the planet of Rhen Var. He says the Rebels wish to attack the planet to detract us from discovering their base on Yavin 4."

It appeared that not even the other officers were aware of this information, for most uttered words of shock along with Daine.

Adm. Ran raised a hand to silence them and then continued. "Grand Adm. Morlev is taking care of the plans and is organizing a fleet to attack the Rebel base. Our prerogative is to destroy the Rebel fleet heading towards Rhen Var. It is designed to combat us specifically, so we must be… unorthodox. The nearest fleet cannot hope to catch up to us or the Rebels in time for the confrontation."

"Wait… they are meant just to attack us?" Capt. Heckmann asked. "Why don't they just attack _us_ then, rather than Rhen Var?"

"They wish to attract our attention, not attack us directly," the admiral replied. "They want to keep us _away_ from this system, not _attract_ us to it. They seem to know of our approach towards their base. We cannot stop the Rebels from attacking Rhen Var – they already have a head start. However, we can arrive shortly after while they're still battling the defenses on the planet. The forces on Rhen Var have already been informed of the impending attack and have been given their orders by the grand admiral."

"How much do they know about our fleet?" Capt. Argyus asked.

"Everything they need to form a basic strategy on how to defeat us," Adm. Ran answered. "They know enough where we need to be on our guard and ready to fight them. We will catch them off guard with our punctuality, but that will not last long.

"This is not where the complication begins, however. I have been given specific orders on our battle. We are to capture the flagship and take the leaders prisoner. That is a direct order from the grand admiral and anyone who violates it will be tried for treason."

"But…" Daine stuttered. "How—how did—when did this—?"

"I am unaware of what has been happening with the grand admiral or how he suddenly reappeared, Capt. Jir," Adm. Ran interrupted. "But you all have your orders. I will leave the details on your own specific strategies up to you. We will reconvene in eight hours."

* * *

Leoni's head was whirling. It was insane enough that she had run into Breifin upon hearing his name from that other officer, but now she was finding out that there was a battle to prepare for because the Rebels had discovered the Death Star. How could they know about the Death Star? Even _Leoni_ didn't know about it until she arrived!

Sighing, Leoni looked over at Breifin's astromech droid, R2-D2. She had seen the little droid on quite a few occasions, and the droid knew her well. Artoo had been ecstatic to see her again and had been beeping, whooping, and twirling ever since her arrival in Breifin's quarters.

It seemed so surreal. How could this all be happening?

The door to the room opened and Breifin entered.

Leoni stood. "_Now_ will you tell me what's happening?"

Breifin sighed. "I already told you, Leoni."

"You told me you were held captive by the Rebels and then decided to do espionage," Leoni replied. "Then you suddenly said we had a battle to prepare for. What's going on? How did you get here? How do the _Rebels_ know about the Death Star? Breifin, where have you been?"

Breifin sighed once more, looking extremely tired. "Leoni, a lot has happened during my time with the Rebels."

"You're… you didn't _tell_ them, did you?" Leoni asked in horror.

"I had to," Breifin moaned. "What's worse was I was going to… to…"

Breifin trembled and Leoni ran to him, holding him as he practically collapsed on her.

"I never want to see them again," he snarled into her shoulder. "I'm going to make sure we _eliminate_ them."

Leoni held him tightly. "They won't lay their hands on your again, Breifin. You're in the best stronghold the Empire has to offer."

Leoni helped Breifin to sit on his cot and then sat beside him. Artoo rolled over, beeping a query to Breifin.

Breifin chuckled, looking at the droid. "Yes, this means we're finally back with the Empire, Artoo."

Artoo seemed slightly distressed about this concept, which made Leoni quirk an eyebrow. "What's bothering Artoo?"

Breifin wrung his hands together nervously. "Nothing. We just… nothing."

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Breifin," Leoni reminded him. When she didn't get a response, she tried a different avenue. "How did you get captured?"

"Well…" Breifin trailed away. "It's complicated, Leoni."

"It's complicated," she repeated.

"Yes,"

Sighing, Leoni leaned back. "Breifin, why are you being so secretive?"

Breifin looked at Leoni and then looked away. "I… I can't tell you everything right now, Leoni. We have to worry about the battle first."

Leoni watched him for a short while and then he stood. "I have to go, Leoni. You'd better get back to your post."

"Oh yes," Leoni laughed. "A security officer has a lot to worry about in this situation."

Breifin gave her what looked to be a smile. "You never know."

* * *

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	15. The Battles Begin

**Hey! Sorry for the wait... enjoy the chapter! :-)**

* * *

Obi-Wan stood by his mother and niece on the bridge of the _Deliverance_. They would be arriving in less than an hour.

"You'd better be careful down there," Leia said to Obi-Wan and his mother. "Don't get yourselves killed."

Obi-Wan let out a chuckle, hiding his own nerves. "I've been in battles before, Leia."

"What about you, though?" Leia asked, directing her worried eyes to her grandmother.

Shmi simply gave a gentle smile. "You need to worry about yourself, Leia. My son will take care of me if I get myself into trouble."

Obi-Wan's comlink chimed and he activated it. "Yes?"

"Gen. Kenobi, the landing parties are ready and awaiting your command," a voice said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Very well; I'm on my way."

He deactivated the comlink and then looked at Leia. He wasn't quite sure what to say or do. This could possibly be the last time he saw her. He had been in fights before, yes, but not entire battles leading troops. Whether they understood Killer Squadron's tactics or not, this was not going to be easy… and it still relied on two other battles over which they had no control.

Obi-Wan once again found himself wishing his family wasn't so influential to both sides. He just wished they could live in peace without having to be practically _leading_ this war.

Placing a hand on Leia's shoulder, Obi-Wan said, "May the Force be with you, Leia,"

Leia nodded, unshed tears glistening in her eyes, and she threw her arms around him. When Obi-Wan released her, she hugged Shmi next and then walked to the front of the bridge to talk to the admiral.

Obi-Wan faced his mother. "Are you ready, Mother?"

She nodded. "Yes, Obi-Wan. Let's go."

* * *

Alarms blared as Killer Squadron prepared to come to a full stop before changing coordinates. Daine stood on the bridge watching his men work diligently, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

The grand admiral was alive – and on top of it, he was commanding a full assault on at least three different locations. That man never knew when to stop. Daine let out a chuckle. He couldn't wait to tell Leoni the news; she would be ecstatic.

Luke tightened his helmet strap and wiggled his fingers, feeling their touch on the controls. His stomach was in knots and he could feel every hair on his body standing up. Sweat was beginning to form on his brow and he blew out a breath.

"Well, Arthree," he said into his communication device which was attached to his helmet. "This is it. When do we arrive?"

Arthree's reply crawled across the screen in front of Luke. WE WILL BE ARRIVING IN APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MINUTES, TWENTY-NINE SECONDS.

Luke took another deep breath to calm his fluttering heartbeat. "All right… here we go,"

* * *

Anakin stood aboard the bridge of the _Eclipse_, the flagship for Nova Squadron. The admiral awaited his orders and the men were tense with anticipation. The attack force would be arriving any minute now.

Sweat trickled down his face and he quickly swiped it away.

Nova Squadron was created to protect the Death Star and eliminate any who threatened it. They would need to be more delicate in this instance. They _had_ to be more delicate. He would ensure that everything went smoothly.

Anakin smiled. If everything went according to plan, he would get everything and everyone that he needed and wanted.

Anakin walked to the back of the bridge with the high admiral. Nine captains stood awaiting them, eight of whom were present through holograms.

"All ships are ready and positioned as ordered, sirs," the captain of the _Eclipse_, Capt. Mustang, reported.

"What is their estimated time of arrival?" High Adm. Reivilo asked.

"They should be arriving within two minutes, ma'am," Capt. Mustang answered.

"Sound the warning call, captains," the high admiral ordered. The captains quickly saluted and disappeared. The high admiral then turned to face Anakin. "This will not be an easy battle, sir."

"I understand that," Anakin nodded. "But I have faith in your fleet."

"I would greatly appreciate it if I had control of my own fleet, grand admiral," the strong-willed woman added, her cold blue eyes hardening in frustration.

"I'm sure you would," Anakin acknowledge, keeping his look just as firm. "However, this is a delicate procedure."

"You don't think I'm capable of delicacy?" High Adm. Reivilo raised a slender eyebrow.

"Forgive me for my frankness, high admiral, but I assigned you to this fleet because I knew you show no mercy. You're known as the great Supernova herself; that's why I named this fleet Nova Squadron. No one has ever defeated you in battle. I have every bit of faith in your abilities… I just wish to oversee this personally."

The high admiral narrowed her eyes before nodding and turning away. Anakin had to admire her; she had a great deal of character, bravery, and just plain guts to even contemplate arguing with him. After all, she knew perfectly well who and what he was.

An alarm began to rumble, alerting the fleet of an impending attack. Another alarm quickly followed, catching Anakin and High Adm. Reivilo's attention.

"Sirs, the Rebel fleet is exiting hyperspace!" someone called.

"Which one is the flagship?" High Adm. Reivilo asked.

"Judging from the formation, ma'am, I would say…"

Anakin pointed to the _Philosopher_, a ship that the Rebels had been using for some time. It was from the Clone Wars, and therefore strikingly recognizable to Anakin. "That's it."

High Adm. Reivilo raised an eyebrow. "It's an odd choice for a flagship. It's obviously outdated."

"Believe me, she's been retrofitted," Anakin crossed his arms. "She's got a heavy armament, equal to a Star Destroyer."

"And you're expecting us to capture her?"

"You are the Supernova, high admiral," Anakin smirked. "I'll leave how you go about capturing the flagship to you."

"Grand Adm. Morlev, we have incoming starfighters," a lieutenant reported.

"Find the squad leaders and bring them in via tractor beam," Anakin ordered.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Chewbacca watched Han as he swore in Huttese, kicking the hyperdrive as if it would make it more receptive. They had landed on Handooine, which was a few systems away from the Agon system. They could get a new motivator rather easily in the capital, Jelwick, but it would take about a day to install.

Chewbacca growled irritably. They didn't have a day.

"Well this is a great mess we've gotten ourselves into," Han muttered.

Chewbacca looked at the new motivator and then grabbed a toolbox. Telling Han that they shouldn't waste any time, the two got to work, ignoring C-3PO, who still lay deactivated beside the hyperdrive.

* * *

"Rogue Five, pull up!"

"Rogue Leader, I lost Rogue Seven!"

"Rogue Squadron, fall back to the main fleet!"

Luke gritted his teeth. The moment they had exited hyperspace, Nova Squadron had begun attacking. It was in a protective formation around the Death Star, almost as if it was expecting the attack. Luke's insides knotted; something had gone wrong.

"Rogue Squadron, you heard the admiral's orders," Luke said, his voice strained as he tried to shake off a TIE fighter. "Pull back to the main fleet."

"Roger that, sir!"

Luke watched as his squad began to turn around and fly back to protect the main ships from the fighters. He pulled hard left on the yoke to get his fighter to the front of the squad, but his ship bucked horribly, throwing Luke into his console. "Arthree, what's going on?"

Arthree replied, the translation sliding across the screen in front of him as Luke pulled back into his seat. WE ARE BEING PULLED IN BY A TRACTOR BEAM.

"Blast it!" Luke swore, gripping the yoke so tight his fingers went numb.

"Rogue Leader, what's the matter?" Rogue Four, Gavin, asked worriedly.

"They've got me in a tractor beam, Gavin!" Luke snapped, terrified and angered by the situation.

"Copy that," Gavin responded. "Rogue Squadron, new orders:—"

"Gavin, don't!" Luke interrupted, but his cousin continued.

"Return to original positions. Rogue Leader is being pulled in by the Star Destroyer's tractor beam. We need to knock that thing out."

"Gavin, you're disobeying orders!" Luke yelled.

"I'm aware of that, Luke," Gavin replied. "But I'm not leaving you to get killed. I promised Mom and Dad I'd take care of you when they allowed you to leave."

Luke squeezed the yoke tighter, helplessly watching the screen as Rogue Squadron turned around once again and began to fly right for the Star Destroyer holding him.

* * *

Gripping the handrail firmly, Obi-Wan braced himself as the engines of the shuttle roared to life. An alarm signaling the exit from hyperspace began to blare loudly.

Obi-Wan looked at his mother. "Are you still sure about this?"

Shmi gave a smile, but there was no mirth or reassurance behind it. She was nervous, but she was still determined. "I'm not leaving."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, his palms sweating. His comlink chimed and he tapped his wrist where it now sat. "This is Gen. Kenobi."

"Begin the takeoff sequence, general," the admiral of the fleet ordered. "And may the Force be with you,"

Obi-Wan acknowledged and then cut the connection. He called out to the pilot, "All right, let's go! Signal the other landing craft!"

"Yes sir!" the pilot replied firmly.

Obi-Wan once more looked at his mother, but he didn't offer her another chance to leave. He simply held out his free hand, which his mother took and squeezed. The two didn't tear their eyes from each other as the ship vibrated and Obi-Wan felt the ground disappear beneath his feet. The doors on either side of the Clone Wars-style shuttle closed just as the shields to the hangar went from opaque to transparent, allowing for the shuttles to exit.

Mother and son continued to watch each other and hold a firm grip on each other as the shuttle twisted and turned, avoiding flak from the Imperial defenses on the planet itself. The sound of wind made itself known as they entered the atmosphere, burning their way into the planet.

The sound of battle was heard everywhere. Explosions from the flak deafened Obi-Wan. To his left he heard a large screech of metal and heard engines whine and travel quickly below him: a shuttle had been hit. Eventually the sounds all grew louder and conjoined with calls from people and smaller weapons such as blasters. The shuttle rocked a little as it hovered just above the ground in a landing position.

Obi-Wan released his mother's hand.

"Time to go," he said.

The doors to the shuttle opened on both sides and the troops spilled out. Obi-Wan stood there for an instant, watching his mother one last time, and then he too jumped off to lead the soldiers.

* * *

Leia paced on the bridge of the _Deliverance_ as the Rebel fleet easily defeated the one Star Destroyer protecting the planet.

The Twi'lek admiral clasped his hands behind his back, sighed, and then faced Leia. "It's up to the ground forces now. Let's hope the other two operations are going well."

"Can't we contact them?" Leia asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid not,"

Leia nodded and turned away. She was a senator; she could hide her emotions better than this. It just seemed like suddenly everything was just so _wrong_. Nothing felt right; her stomach was in a tight knot, her head was pounding, her heartbeat echoing and pulsing painfully. She didn't know what was wrong… but something _was_ wrong.

"How are the ground forces?" she inquired, turning to face the admiral once more.

"Gen. Kenobi's shuttle has landed," the admiral reported. "He is commencing the ground attack as we speak. I believe they are just establishing a command center right now. They are about two clicks from the Imperial post."

Again Leia nodded and turned away.

The admiral walked to her, standing beside her. "Everything is going according to plan right now, princess. Don't worry."

"Everything is going according to plan _here_, you mean," Leia adjusted the admiral's statement. "We don't know how the other force is doing at the Death Star. We don't know if anything's gone wrong."

"No, but we must have faith in them."

Leia sighed. "I just have a very bad feeling about this."

"Relax, princess," the admiral tried to calm her. "This is your first full-stage operation, after all; it's natural to be nervous. However, don't let that get in the way of your actions. I already told you, everything is going according to plan. There's nothing we can do about the other operations, so we need to focus on doing _our_ operation as best we can."

Leia took a deep breath to calm herself and then turned to face the admiral once more, giving a very small but firm smile in assurance. The admiral nodded in return and turned to walk back to the front of the bridge.

The ship suddenly bucked, flinging Leia and the admiral into the wall.

"What the hell was that?" the admiral yelled. "The Star Destroyer has been incapacitated!"

"Admiral, it came from the other side of the planet!" an officer called and then he gasped. "Sir, it's Killer Squadron!"

Leia and the admiral gaped at the officer. _"What?"_

"That's impossible!" the ship's captain shouted. "They were in the Yavin system! What would they be doing here? They couldn't have gotten here so quickly!"

"Bring out the fighter squads!" the admiral ordered immediately. "We know the strategy to take these Imperials down—get moving!"

Alarms went wild and the lieutenant commander called for all pilots to report to their fighters.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. Even if the Imperials had already sent the call for reinforcements, it would take a good two to three hours to get to Rhen Var from where Killer Squadron had last been reported!

Leia swore. "I hate it when I'm right."

* * *

"Sir, we've just received a confirmation: Killer Squadron has engaged the enemy."

Anakin nodded and then looked at High Adm. Reivilo. "Well, it gets interesting from here."

"I assume you'll have to worry about leading your squadron?" the high admiral asked drolly, a slightly irritated edge to her tone.

"Ma'am, there's an incoming transmission from Grand Moff Tarkin," Capt. Mustang reported.

High Adm. Reivilo raised an eyebrow at Anakin. "I was under the impression that you had ordered no transmissions from the Death Star."

"I _did_ order that," Anakin growled. The high admiral seemed to share his annoyance at Tarkin's disobedience. "I'll handle the transmission, high admiral. You enjoy your battle. Oh, and don't worry about Killer Squadron; they can handle themselves."

This information brought an impressed smirk to the high admiral's face and she walked to her captain, issuing orders. Anakin, in return, went to the back of the bridge where the commander of the _Eclipse_ stood waiting.

Narrowing his eyes, Anakin nodded to the commander. "Receive the transmission, commander."

The commander nodded and pressed a button. Within a few seconds, a holographic image of the grand moff appeared in front of Anakin. Tarkin held his usual stance of being calm and in control, but Anakin could see something off in his eyes. He was nervous and angry, and he wanted the battle to be over already.

Before the grand moff could get in a single word, Anakin snapped, "I ordered you explicitly _not_ to contact anyone at any time. Did I not make that clear enough?"

"You may be second-in-command with Lord Sion gone, sir, but it was _you_ who reported the Death Star's existence to the Rebels," Tarkin said in reply, his tone holding a threatening edge to it.

"Let me remind you, Grand Moff Tarkin," Anakin lowered his tone warningly. "I have been on your precious Death Star for some time now and know every inch of it. I also control the fleet _protecting_ your precious Death Star, and the ships controlling the shield generator encompassing your Death Star. It is _me_ who is eliminating the Rebels right now. I expect your full cooperation, _Tarkin_. As you know, nothing less is tolerated by me."

Tarkin's jaw clenched, but he showed no other sign of emotion. In a tight voice brimming with frustration, he replied, "Of course, my lord."

The hologram fizzled out of existence. Anakin then put in a new frequency and called. When the hologram reappeared, it was Leoni standing before him.

"This is Lt. Jir," she answered.

"Lieutenant, Grand Moff Tarkin is bordering on insubordination," Anakin said calmly. "I want you to keep an eye on him and his members of the council. Gather a security team. Be subtle, lieutenant, but do not hesitate to detain anyone who tries disobeying my orders. No one is to contact anyone outside of the Death Star unless it is you contacting me, and—listen very carefully to this, Leoni—the Death Star is _not_ a combatant in this battle. They are _not_ to fire their primary weapon. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Leoni nodded and saluted.

Anakin deactivated the link and then turned around to watch the personnel on the bridge. High Adm. Reivilo stood in the center, her arms crossed as she listened to reports coming in.

"Sirs, the flagship is taking heavy damage to its engines," the commander reported to the high admiral and captain.

"Commence boarding," Capt. Mustang ordered.

"Belay that," High Adm. Reivilo calmly but firmly intervened.

The commander and captain faced the high admiral. "Ma'am?"

"Captain, order your gunners to target the flagship's hangar bays," the high admiral commanded.

Anakin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The commander looked uncertain, but the captain nodded without argument and gave the order. The gunners immediately followed the orders.

The commander watched as the batteries opened fire on the _Philosopher_'s starboard hangars, and then he approached the high admiral. "Ma'am, are you sure this is the best course of action? We cannot board the ship if—"

"Cdr. Hawk, since you are new, I will hope for your sake that this will not need to be repeated—when you are under my command, you obey my orders without question. Now return to your post." High Adm. Reivilo interrupted firmly, her muscles tightening and her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Cdr. Hawk froze and then shakily saluted her and did as he was ordered. Capt. Mustang shook his head with a smile and then walked over to the high admiral. "What of the squad leaders, ma'am?"

"I've left that up to Grand Adm. Morlev," she replied, looking at Anakin.

"Give me an update on that," Anakin approached the two.

Capt. Mustang answered, "Well, from the formations there appear to be eight squadrons. So far, we have three squad leaders in custody, two in tractor pull, and the rest are still in combat."

"Make sure they are _all_ captured," Anakin eyed the captain. "Then place them in detainment aboard whichever ship captured them. We will deal with them once this battle is won."

"Yes sir,"

The captain was about to leave when the commander returned. "Capt. Mustang, there are reports that the capital ships are concentrating their fire on the _Blazer_."

Capt. Mustang faced the commander fully, his eyes slightly wider, but his face maintaining a calm façade. "Contact Havoc Squadron and order them to send their bombers to the nearest capital ship. Their new objective is to defend the _Blazer_."

As the commander did so, Anakin looked at the captain. "They're attacking the shield generators?"

Capt. Mustang nodded, looking grim. "It appears they're getting bold. If I may, sir, I'm going to report this to the high admiral."

"Go ahead, captain,"

"Captain!" a lieutenant commander suddenly shouted. "Our shields are down!"

"Get a maintenance team down there!" Capt. Mustang immediately ordered. "We need those shields if we're going to survive this! What happened?"

"The generator overloaded, sir," the lieutenant commander answered quickly. "Apparently one of the Rebel squadrons is bombarding us alone. They're aiming for anywhere – their objective must be to lower our shields."

"I'd say they fulfilled their objective, then," Anakin muttered and then looked at the captain. "Maybe _I_ should tell the high admiral about the _Blazer_. It seems like you've got your hands full."

As Anakin informed Reivilo, he caught sight of one of the X-wings of the squadron and recognized the markings of Rogue Squadron on it. He turned to a different lieutenant commander. "Is the squadron attacking this ship being led by a leader?"

"We have the leader in a tractor beam, but with the shields down, the squadron is trying to destroy the generator," the lieutenant commander offered. To emphasize his point, the _Eclipse_ shuddered and trembled, causing some to lose their footing.

"What was that?" High Adm. Reivilo demanded.

"The tractor beam generator, ma'am," another officer answered. "It's been destroyed!"

* * *

Obi-Wan led the assault as the Imperial outpost drew near. Heavy fire came from the outpost's turrets, forcing the troops to take cover.

Blocking blaster bolts, Obi-Wan covered his troops as they scrambled behind snow mounds and other makeshift barriers. He saw his mother hide as well, uninjured.

"Hold your position here," Obi-Wan ordered the soldiers. "I'll eliminate the turrets. As soon as they cease fire, head for the landing platform and secure it. I'll meet you there."

"Yes sir!"

Obi-Wan sat still as artillery fire threw piles of snow all around them. Steam began to block the view as the heat from the blaster fire melted the snow and ice. That would give Obi-Wan an advantage; he didn't need his eyes to see where he was going.

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan gripped his lightsaber firmly and then leapt over the snow mound where he had been hiding. He leaned forward as he ran, his torso nearly parallel to the ground as he sprinted towards the outpost.

Explosions from near misses rocked the ground, but Obi-Wan kept his footing sure and steady as he ran. He swatted away regular blaster fire with his lightsaber. As he drew nearer to the outpost, he gathered the Force around him and leapt into the air. The surprised looks on the turret operators' faces quickly came into view as Obi-Wan disarmed them and knocked them out. He then quickly destroyed the turrets in that area.

Obi-Wan moved fluidly, swiftly heading to the next post of turrets. As he ran, he began to hear more blaster fire. Tossing a glance to his right, Obi-Wan sensed his soldiers being picked off one by one. What was going on?

Leaping off the balcony where he had just been, Obi-Wan began to run for his troops once more.

Suddenly, he heard TIE fighters screaming overhead.

Obi-Wan's blood froze. _No_…

As he heard his troops calling out, realization shot through him like electricity. "Mother!"

* * *

**Yes, I know... Capt. Mustang and High Adm. Reivilo (*cough*spell it backwards*cough*)... what can I say? I recently got into that show and I love it! And no, they're not the same characters - they're just _based_ off of them. :-P  
**

**Please review!**


	16. When the Going Gets Tough

Luke whooped as he punched the thrusters as hard as he could, speeding away from the Star Destroyer that had previously been about to engulf him in its hangar bay. "Great job, Rogue Squadron!"

"No problem, Rogue Leader,"

"Gavin," Luke laughed. "I'm going to kill you when this is all over."

"Rogue Leader, we're taking heavy fire from the turrets!"

"Let's render them blind, then," Luke responded. "Rogue Squadron, direct all fire to their sensor arrays."

"Copy that, Rogue Leader," the squad acknowledged.

"Form in behind me," Luke ordered, leading his squadron as they raced at break-neck speed almost kissing the destroyer's surface. "This is going to be a tight turn!"

Firmly gripping the yoke, Luke said to Arthree, "Arthree, reroute the power for the engines directly to the yoke: port engines, port side, starboard engines, starboard side."

Arthree complied and Luke pushed the engines to maximum. As he reached the end of the bow of the destroyer, he put all power to his top two engines, allowing his nose to dive towards the Star Destroyer. He then quickly activated the starboard engines alone and twisted, flipping and turning around entirely, ending up flying the opposite direction underneath the Star Destroyer. The sensor arrays were within sight. His squadron followed suit, and Luke returned the engine power to normal.

"All ships, open fire!" Luke called. "Proton torpedoes away!"

Luke watched with adrenaline-pumped excitement as the proton torpedoes flew to their targets. Suddenly, out of nowhere, laser fire intercepted them, causing them to blow up prematurely.

"What was that?" Rogue Three asked sharply. "Where did it come from?"

"Blast!" Gavin yelled. "TIE fighters at two o'clock!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Luke ordered immediately, twisting his ship to the left to avoid incoming fire. A TIE fighter immediately hooked on his trail, seemingly the leader of the squad. "Great…"

"I can't shake him!" Rogue Two shouted.

"Hang in there, Rogue Two," Gavin responded. "Just let me get a good shot…"

Luke's attention quickly returned to his own predicament when a shot nearly fried Arthree. "Arthree, you okay out there?"

Arthree twittered nervously and frantically, but Luke supposed it was the equivalent of a yell or scream since no translation appeared. "Hang on; I'm trying to loose him!"

Luke flipped his X-wing so it was belly-to-belly with the Star Destroyer before pulling up suddenly, even making himself a bit dizzy. Thankfully there was no gravity in space except for the artificial gravity in the cockpit, otherwise the sheer inertia would have glued him to his seat or knocked him out.

Despite the risky and nauseating move, the TIE fighter followed him exactly and seemed completely unperturbed by it.

"Stang, this pilot's good," Luke muttered. "Rogue Squadron, call in!"

"Rogue Two, a bit busy at the moment…" Rogue Two answered, her voice sounding strained.

"Rogue Four, getting rid of Rogue Two's pesky friend!" Gavin called in.

"Rogue Five, standing by,"

"Rogue Eight, also a little busy!"

"Rogue Nine, standing by!"

"Rogue Ten, I'm getting a shot for the sensor array!"

"Rogue Eleven, standing by!"

"Rogue Fifteen, taking care of some Imps right now!"

"All right, Rogue Five, I could use some help here," Luke said. "Rogues Nine and Eleven, help Rogue Eight and then cover Rogue Ten."

"Copy that, Rogue Leader!"

Luke nodded and then jumped as he almost lost a wing due to fire from the fighter behind him. "Whoa! Rogue Five, where are you?"

There was no response.

"Rogue Five, do you copy?"

Gavin responded. "Sorry, Luke; Rogue Five isn't coming."

Luke gritted his teeth and pulled straight up, curling around the TIE fighter to get behind it. As he did so, the TIE fighter dove _down_, heading right for the Star Destroyer. "What is he _doing_?"

The TIE then pulled _forward_ at the last possible moment, flying upside-down and nearly scraping Luke's fighter from below. Luke quickly pulled away, rolling to the left and pitching down, flying to the starboard side of the Star Destroyer. The moment he did, his ship bucked yet again, flinging him once more into his console. "Damn!"

Arthree beeped and chirped loudly, but Luke didn't even bother to read the translation. "Let me guess: we're caught in the tractor beam again. They must have gotten it back online…"

Luke paused, considering it. They _annihilated_ that generator… how could the destroyer…?

Quickly looking to his left, Luke saw another Star Destroyer floating close. "Blast it! Arthree, where's the tractor beam coming from?"

THE TRACTOR BEAM IS ORIGINATING FROM THE STAR DESTROYER TO THE PORT SIDE.

Luke banged his helmet against his seat. "I fell right into it. Why are they so bent on capturing me?"

Sighing, Luke quickly focused once more. "Rogues, call in."

"Rogue Two, standing by,"

"Rogue Four, standing by,"

"Rogue Eight, standing by,"

"Rogue Nine, standing by,"

"Rogue Eleven, standing by,"

"Rogue Fifteen, standing by,"

Luke blew out a sigh that mixed with a groan. "Rogue Squadron, fall back. It's too hot."

There was a pause, and then, "Copy that, Rogue Leader."

Gavin then said, "What's your position, Rogue Leader?"

"None of your business, Gavin," Luke replied.

"_Now_ what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Just shut up," Luke snapped, raking his gloved hands on the yoke as if it would do something. "Don't you dare order another assault. Judging from the looks of it, this Star Destroyer has barely taken any damage; six X-wings won't hurt it."

Gavin remained silent.

"Gavin, please, follow my orders and fall back," Luke pleaded.

He could hear the frustration in his cousin's voice. "Copy that, Rogue Leader,"

* * *

"I'm alright, Obi-Wan… but what about your leg?"

Obi-Wan winced as his mother gently pulled the trousers up on his left leg where a blaster had penetrated.

Obi-Wan had managed to gather as many Rebels with him as he could and then took cover in the ice caves. However, it also trapped them, and the Imperials simply waited at the entrance like predators.

"They got here awfully early," a Rebel soldier snapped. "What in the blazes happened?"

"I have no idea," Obi-Wan shook his head. "But we don't stand a chance against Killer Squadron… not as we are here. I can only hope the other battle is going well. They might be able to get us out of this if it is."

"And if it isn't?"

"Well…" Obi-Wan sighed. "Maybe it's best we _don't_ think about the other battle at all. Jedi don't deal in 'what if's… let's just see if we can get out of this mess on our own."

"We're open to suggestions, general," the Rebel snapped, angry at the situation.

The Rebels sat in silence for a short while. Shmi then whispered to Obi-Wan, "What could have happened to the fleet orbiting Rhen Var?"

Obi-Wan didn't dare speak. The raw raging emotions in him at the mere thought of it were enough to make him tremble. Leia was fine. Leia _had_ to be fine.

* * *

Anakin flew his TIE fighter back towards the hangar bay of the _Eclipse_. The trap had worked. Luke was caught, and Rogue Squadron was barely holding itself together.

As his fighter landed, Anakin quickly unfastened the seat belts and then opened the cockpit, leaping out and running for the bridge.

"What's the status?" he asked as he jogged towards High Adm. Reivilo.

"The flagship is crumbling and the Rebel fleet is in disarray. All the squadron leaders have been captured. We're just bringing the last one in thanks to you." She reported evenly.

"Is something bothering you?" Anakin raised an eyebrow. "I'm used to hearing a bit more satisfaction out of you after a victory."

"The Death Star is safe, sir," the high admiral responded, crossing her arms. "That's all that's important."

Anakin still suspected she was bothered by something, so he tried another avenue. "What's the damage to your fleet?"

"All in all, the damage is minimal," High Adm. Reivilo answered. "The most damage was inflicted to the _Harbinger_;the bridge was completely destroyed."

Startled, Anakin looked at Capt. Mustang – after all, his wife captained the _Harbinger_. The captain was maintaining his composure, but his hands were shaking and his muscles were taut.

Anger coursed through Anakin. This was exactly why he had rejoined the Empire – those Rebels had no idea what damage they were doing by causing this war! "High Adm. Reivilo, do we have all the leaders imprisoned?"

"Yes, sir,"

"Then destroy what's left of the fleet."

The high admiral nodded curtly. She showed no pleasure in what she was doing, but her eyes glittered with a sense of confidence in Anakin renewed. "At once, grand admiral,"

Anakin knew the high admiral's type. She was merciless and preferred not to let anyone get away. To her it was nothing personal on the enemy; it was simply a fact of life: kill or be killed. She dedicated her life to defending the Empire, just like Anakin, although she carried her duty coldly, unlike Anakin, who would, in his anger, glean satisfaction from eliminating the enemy.

As Reivilo ordered her fleet, Anakin approached Capt. Mustang. "Captain, see to it that all the captured Rebels are brought aboard this ship and imprisoned in separate cell blocks. Make sure they don't see each other."

"Yes sir," Capt. Mustang nodded, his black eyes burning with hatred.

Anakin quickly put a hand on his shoulder. "Captain, I want them all alive and _mostly_ unharmed. Understood?"

The captain nodded grudgingly before departing. Reivilo then approached Anakin.

"The bulk of the Rebel force has been destroyed," she reported irritably. "One smaller vessel and a handful of fighters managed to jump into hyperspace before we could eliminate them."

"Don't let it rankle you too badly, high admiral," Anakin sighed. "Rebels are like insects – they just keep crawling back."

* * *

"Hide in the caves – _great _idea!"

Obi-Wan would have retorted with the argumentative Rebel, but he was coughing too hard to do so.

The Imperials had apparently grown rather impatient and opted for throwing incapacitating agents into the caves as an alternative, leaving the Rebels coughing and eventually passing out.

_Either pass out here and get shot, or go outside and get shot_, Obi-Wan thought as he covered his mouth with his sleeve in a futile attempt to keep from inhaling the gas.

Obi-Wan's thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone else collapse and realized through the Force that it was his mother. "Mother! Mother, wake up!"

As Obi-Wan tried to rouse her, he began to grow dizzy and faint as well. Standing, Obi-Wan tried to find his way around the cave to get away from the gas, but it was to no avail. Darkness crept in around the edges of his vision before everything swam in the yellow murky gas and Obi-Wan felt himself fall, passing out before he even hit the ground.

* * *

Anakin paced impatiently as he awaited news from both Nova and Killer Squadrons. He was on the Death Star once more, having already checked and confirmed with Leoni that Tarkin had kept himself in check after the discussion Anakin had had with him during the battle. The prisoners were being transferred over to the _Eclipse_ (since Anakin didn't trust them anywhere near Tarkin or in his jurisdiction).

High Adm. Reivilo didn't keep Anakin waiting much longer. She entered the room, keeping her face as severe as usual. She promptly saluted Anakin. "All prisoners have been transferred to the _Eclipse_ as you ordered, my lord,"

Returning the salute restlessly, Anakin crossed his arms expectantly. That wasn't what was concerning him, and he knew that she was aware that information had little consequence to him right now. "Well?"

The high admiral stared at him hard, her brow furrowing slightly. Anakin's stomach knotted; this couldn't be good news.

Shaking his head in concern, Anakin said, "Oh, please don't tell me… she couldn't have…"

"Capt. Hawk-Mustang is in critical condition, but the doctors say she will pull through," High Adm. Reivilo reported, her face relaxing into a rare small smile. Her eyes glittered with mischief and satisfaction, leaving Anakin flabbergasted before he quickly grew irritated.

"You—you little—" he stammered angrily as the high admiral only grew more amused.

"I just knew you would want to know, grand admiral," she smirked before saluting once more and leaving the room.

"I'm going to kill her one of these days," Anakin muttered.

* * *

This was absurd.

Daine groaned as he stood, feeling nauseous as he realized he was now standing on the _ceiling_.

"When are those gravity generators going to start functioning properly?" he snapped at his second-in-command.

"We're doing everything we can, sir," the commander said. "But it's not exactly a priority with this battle going on."

Daine would have made some sort of sarcastic remark if the ship didn't buck violently and fling the entire crew to the wall as the gravity shifted.

"Capt. Jir, engineering is reporting casualties!" an ensign called.

"Where is Killer Squad?" Daine demanded.

"They're currently defending the _Monarch_—it's under heavy fire from the Rebel fighters."

Daine grumbled irritably. They would just have to contend with this matter themselves. "Let's see if we can detract their attention… target the nearest capital ship and fire all batteries, full power."

"Yes sir!"

As the gunmen did their duty, Daine turned to his commander. "How's the ground operation? Have we heard anything from them?"

"Our landing craft have successfully deployed the soldiers, sir," the commander replied. "They are awaiting your orders. What does the admiral say?"

Daine shook his head. "The admiral says our ships are our own duty. We have a plan to stick to, commander."

"Sir?"

"It was discussed with the other captains. We're on our own until the opportune moment. Send orders to our landing craft and tell them to remain on the planet's surface in case the troops need swift evacuation or redeployment."

"Yes, captain,"

As the commander went to fulfill his orders, a lieutenant commander called out, "Captain, the Rebel squadron is not taking the bait—what are your orders?"

Daine's reply was knocked out of him as well as the rest of the air in his lungs as the gravity shifted once more, causing several of his subordinates to land on him as they all flew to the other wall. His vision swam with light-headedness. He was really beginning to hate those gravity generators.

"My first order is for maintenance—tell them to fix those blasted generators!" Daine snapped. "Next, contact Capt. Heckmann."

"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant commander gasped as he crawled out from underneath a pile of officers.

* * *

Col. Drawde Ferrum stood a safe distance from the ice caves, patiently waiting for the incapacitating agents to do their work. The rest of Hunter Platoon stood behind him, their weapons at the ready.

Drawde faced Col. Otta Kobylarz. "I think that should be sufficient time, don't you?"

The woman examined the cave entrance for a short while and was about to reply when the rumbling sound of fighter engines approached. Drawde and Col. Otta Kobylarz both twisted at the same time to see a B-wing fighter leading a small squad of Y-wings behind it.

"Take cover!" Drawde shouted to his platoon.

The B-wing led its squad in for an attack run, firing their standard twin blasters at the troops as they dove for safe ground. The ships then flew by, trying to gain enough speed and altitude to turn around for another run.

Drawde peeked out from his hiding ground to see many of his troops injured. When he called out to Col. Kobylarz, he received no response. "Blast!"

Drawde activated his comlink, contacting the deployment vehicles still in the atmosphere. They were meant specifically as troop carriers, but they had some defenses, so they could possibly deter the small squad of Rebel fighters.

Standing up, Drawde pulled out his blaster and his soldiers followed suit. "Lara, aim for the B-wing – it's the leader of the squad. The rest of you, fire at will, but get clear when they enter their attack run!"

Lara Voss, the vanguard of the platoon, popped in a couple of blast shells into her rocket launcher. Sitting on her right knee, she looked through the target scope to get a good shot as the fighters began to turn around. The other members of the platoon began to shoot alongside Drawde, who fired off as many shots as his blaster pistol would allow.

"_Now_, Voss!" he yelled.

Lara squinted through the target scope a moment longer and then fired off a rocket.

* * *

"Break off the run, folks!" Lando called as he twisted his fighter to the right to avoid the rocket flying right for his ship. His ship then lurched and stalled, beginning to lose altitude. "Damn! I hate fighting in atmo!"

"Maverick Leader, are you alright?" one of his pilots asked.

"Yeah," Lando said in a strained tone. "Just fine! The sun is shining, the Imperials showed up early, our forces are barely surviving, my ship is stalling—I'm _terrific_!"

"Today hasn't been a great day," the pilot agreed. "But what are your orders? Should we pursue the platoon?"

Lando was ready to respond when he saw three Imperial shuttles making their way over to that spot. "Uh—no. Let's get out of here!"

"I thought your ship was stalling!"

"Well, yeah, but—" Lando grunted as his ship began to spiral uncontrollably. Alarms blared out of the console. "Yeah—_thanks for the warning_!"

Lando tried holding the controls and straightening the ship, but the pure effects of the inertia locked him into his seat and began to cause utter mayhem to his head. He already felt dizzy, but a spell of light-headedness soon followed.

_This is not good._

* * *

Leia _hated_ feeling helpless.

The _Deliverance_ was badly damaged. Its shields were gone, its sensor arrays destroyed, and its engines heavily damaged. Even the _life support _was beginning to deteriorate.

And throughout this, what could Leia do? _Nothing_.

Leia had studied her tactics well enough, but there wasn't much _for_ her to do. The admiral was controlling the fleet while the captain was controlling the _Deliverance_… Leia could only sit and watch.

The _Deliverance_ lurched horribly and a horrific scream tore through the bridge. Leia felt herself being sucked into the air along with the rest of the bridge personnel. Proximity alarms were going wild—there had been a breach.

Flailing her arms in a wild attempt to grab anything, Leia managed to clasp a console and clung to it for dear life. She watched in horror as dozens of men were sucked into the vacuum of space, but she couldn't call out—she could barely breathe.

Looking at the console, Leia recognized certain controls, one of which included ray shielding if the automatic shields failed. She reached desperately for the button, but the force of the wind was too strong and she nearly lost her grip.

Gasping for air, Leia gathered her strength and tried reaching once more, but it was impossible. They were all going to die right there if the circumstances didn't improve!

Leia was nearly out of oxygen as she squinted at the button, the wind howling in her ears. She focused all of her attention on the button, which was no easy feat, and while her concentration wasn't perfect, she found that imagining the button sinking into the console was actually making it vibrate and begin to sink as if a timid hand were pushing it.

Thank the Force for Obi-Wan's Jedi lessons.

Concentrating harder, Leia reached her arm out as if to smack the button down, imagining that she did just that.

The button sank into the console, and the howling wind ceased.

Leia fell to the ground, nearly unconscious from the effort. All around her she heard people also landing on the ground once more. The only sound was that of the survivors panting for air and lying still, too shocked and terrified from the near-death experience to be doing anything else.

Eventually some began to crawl towards their posts once more, clambering into their seats or shakily leaning on a console to stand. Leia slowly followed suit.

"Where's… the admiral…?" she asked between gasps.

The captain of the ship looked around wildly, too out of breath to reply. After scanning the area for about a minute, he faintly answered, "I don't think he… made it…"

Leia groaned, leaning forward slightly as a wave of nausea overcame her at the meaning of that statement.

It appeared she now had something to do after all.

* * *

Anakin and High Adm. Reivilo stood waiting side-by-side in one of the Death Star's many hangar bays. A _Lambda_-class Imperial shuttle entered, folding its wings upward and lowering its landing gear as it came to a slow and smooth landing. The ramp lowered soon after, and Capt. Mustang stood aboard the shuttle, waiting.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "You're coming along, captain?"

"I've been ordered to remain here and be in charge of the fleet," Capt. Mustang said, his small black eyes glowing irritably at the concept of simply helping a limping fleet to its feet once more. "But I do have information about the fleet you will be rendezvousing with."

Anakin and the high admiral nodded in unison and watched the captain disembark the shuttle.

"The nearest available fleet is 4th Cusim Fleet. They will be awaiting the rendezvous just outside of the Rhen Var system. Your estimated time of arrival is one hour." The captain reported.

"Very well, captain," High Adm. Reivilo acknowledge. "Now get out of the way. You have a fleet to attend to."

The captain grudgingly stepped aside, biting back a sigh of exasperation.

High Adm. Reivilo led the way as she and Anakin boarded the shuttle. Anakin turned around to watch the captain as the landing ramp was raised, but Capt. Mustang didn't even bother to wait. He simply stormed off.

Chuckling, Anakin turned to the high admiral. "You certainly pick strange subordinates—I don't think I've ever met a man who is angered by the concept of being able to check on his seriously injured wife while doing his duty."

"Capt. Mustang is a highly efficient and capable officer," High Adm. Reivilo simply said. "He prefers to be aiding in the best way he can."

"And I'm presuming he believes the best way he can help is through the battlefield in this instance?"

"I would say so," High Adm. Reivilo replied.

Anakin shook his head. "I can understand the desire to help in battle, but to feel that way while your wife is in intensive care…"

"Your wife was killed by the Rebels, if I recall, my lord," the high admiral casually said. "As a result, you went on a blood hunt. Capt. Mustang simply wants to do the same."

Anakin stayed silent, shocked for a moment at the high admiral's audacity to bring up Padmé, but it only made her all the more likable in his opinion. This Imperial was definitely not afraid of anyone. He simply shrugged in response. "I suppose so, high admiral. I suppose so."

The high admiral gave an impressed smirk with his ability to remain calm after such a sensitive topic, but her smirk quickly vanished back into her regular expression and she turned to face a window as the shuttle entered hyperspace.

Anakin faced the opposite direction, staring at his ghostly reflection in the window. He had given explicit orders before departing that the prisoners were to be left in solitude after their transfer to the _Eclipse_. If High Adm. Reivilo trusted Capt. Mustang so much, Anakin knew those orders would be obeyed. However, now he had to contend with handling the Rebel forces at Rhen Var. He didn't think the fleet would be a large problem; he had a great amount of faith in Killer Squadron, even if they had the disadvantage of their enemy knowing their every tactic.

Anakin couldn't help but flinch at that thought—_he_ was the one who told those blasted Rebels the secrets of his fleet… at least most of them.

But it wasn't the fleet he was worried about—it was the ground force.

Obi-Wan was leading them.

* * *

Moaning, Obi-Wan opened his eyes. His head was pounding horribly and his eyes felt like the pressure was about to make them burst. Everything was spinning in a nauseating way, and Obi-Wan nearly gagged as he tried to push himself into a sitting position.

It appeared that they were still in the ice caves, and his troops were still alive and well, albeit groggy from the gas.

"Get up," Obi-Wan slurred to his men. "We can't linger—the Imperials are bound to show up any second."

His troops complied as quickly as they could, and Obi-Wan crawled over to his mother.

"Mother?" he shook her slightly as she stirred awake.

Moaning, his mother put a hand over her eyes before slowly pushing herself to her feet with Obi-Wan's help. "Are we still in the caves?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "But we can't stay."

Shmi nodded, smoothing her palm over her forehead.

Obi-Wan helped her walk and the two slowly led the other troops deeper into the cave. Obi-Wan felt out with the Force to sense that the Imperials were gone. Confused, he ordered his troops to stop and he quietly made his way to the cave entrance.

There were crevices in the snow where it had been severely melted, no doubt from blasts of some sort. There were Imperial corpses littering the snow, leaving a heavy feeling in Obi-Wan's chest. He surveyed the area and saw no one, so he brought his troops into the open air.

"What happened here?" one of them asked.

"I have no idea, but we'd better take advantage of it while we can," Obi-Wan answered. "Let's make for the listening post."

"Yes, general,"

* * *

**Review!**


	17. Checkmate

**Oh, by the way, if anyone's curious about update info for any of my stories including this, see NOTES on my profile. It's recently been updated for info on all my long-term stories. :)**

* * *

"What are they doing?"

Leia looked at the layout of the battle in confusion. Killer Squadron wasn't acting how they had predicted at all. In fact, it wasn't acting like _any_ Imperial fleet. It was disorganized and disjointed. Each ship was acting separately rather than as a steady and firm unit. They were making themselves easier to destroy!

The _Deliverance_ bucked as it took another hit from the nearest Star Destroyer, but the damage wouldn't last long; Leia had called for backup from the _Oceana_.

So far, Killer Squadron had dealt the most damage simply because their arrival was a surprise. It was ironic how the Rebels' surprise attack had been thwarted by a surprise attack from the Imperials they were supposed to be surprising. Leia shook her head – that was too confusing and irritating to think about.

Another heavy blow from the Star Destroyer sent Leia and many others falling to the ground once more.

"Where's the _Oceana_?" Leia asked the captain irritably.

"Just arriving, Princess Leia,"

The Star Destroyer immediately began to focus on the _Oceana_ as it opened fire, leaving Leia to catch her breath and order the _Deliverance_ to team up with the _Oceana_.

* * *

"_Now_ can we request aid from another Star Destroyer?" the commander asked as they all stood on the ceiling once more.

Daine sighed.

"Don't worry about the flagship," he told his commander. "We did our job. Let's just take out that other ship."

"Sir, they're _both_ firing on us,"

"Do as I say," Daine ordered.

The commander gave him a hard look, not trusting his orders, but following them anyway. Daine sighed again. Being a new captain in a battle like this wasn't the best situation to find oneself in.

As the _Nomad_ fired on the capital ship, the _Silencer_ placed itself just over the Rebel flagship. Daine smiled in satisfaction and looked at the commander. "Are you still worried?"

The commander flushed, embarrassed and angry. Daine then said, "Commander, I understand that you have little faith in me since I've just been promoted. To be honest, I'm still trying to sift through this ordeal as well, but you _must_ trust me. If you don't, I doubt we'll get through this in one piece."

The commander nodded silently.

Daine clapped his hands together. "Now, let's—"

The room lurched as gravity suddenly pushed from Daine's feet, throwing him and the rest of the crew to the floor.

"Let's get those generators fixed…" Daine moaned from under a pile of enlisted men.

* * *

Leoni wandered the hallway as she mindlessly stared out the windows to her right. The battle at the Death Star was over – it had been a tough victory, but a victory nonetheless. She was still under orders to prevent any transmissions from leaving the Death Star, and since she was given direct authority from Breifin, no one questioned her orders, even if they were above her in rank. It was empowering, but also a little odd and more than awkward.

What was bothering her more than anything, though, was due to overhearing a conversation between two members of Nova Squadron who were discussing a conflict between a large Rebel force and Killer Squadron in the Rhen Var System. The officers were presuming that the force in Rhen Var would be even more competent since they knew the tactics of Killer Squadron, which worried Leoni all the more.

She hoped Daine was okay.

Leoni's thoughts were interrupted when she nearly ran into a captain who seemed just as preoccupied as her. He was a handsome young man, looking like he was barely hitting his prime. He had a clean shaven baby-face visage, black hair, and black piercing eyes that were clouded from thought. He stood stiffly, his hands shaking and his brow furrowed deeply.

"Sir, is there something wrong?" Leoni asked, catching the captain off guard. He jumped, looking at her with wide startled eyes before he quickly turned away, clearing his throat.

"No," he choked out, his voice quivering a little.

Leoni raised an eyebrow, but she didn't comment. Instead, she asked, "You're from Nova Squadron, correct?"

The captain stood straighter and took a deep breath before turning to face her. His face was hardened, as well as his eyes, but he wasn't glaring at her. He just seemed to be carved out of stone. "Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"Lt. Jir, sir,"

"Ah, the grand admiral's lieutenant," the captain nodded, crossing his arms tightly. His breathing seemed awfully shallow.

"I was wondering if you might know anything about the battle going on in the Rhen Var System," Leoni prompted.

"No," the captain said roughly.

"I just thought you might know…" Leoni said slowly, trying to glean what was wrong. "My husband is part of Killer Squadron, and—"

Leoni paused when the captain doubled over, getting ill. "Eh—captain—captain?"

She didn't know what to do besides rub his back as he vomited, so Leoni simply did that before pulling out a handkerchief for him when he was done. She then got a maintenance droid to clean the mess as she helped the shaky man to an empty conference room. The captain's comlink chimed.

After getting him seated, Leoni pulled up a chair beside him as the captain remained bent over, his eyes squeezed shut and the handkerchief pressed firmly against his mouth.

"I'm going to call a doctor, captain," Leoni said, reaching for her comlink, but the captain grabbed her wrist so quickly she missed the movement altogether, making her jump.

The captain kept his eyes closed, but he lowered the handkerchief and whispered, "No, that won't be necessary, lieutenant."

"Won't be necessary?" Leoni rolled her eyes; men were such idiots sometimes. "Sorry, sir, but I define vomiting as being _ill_, unless you define it differently?"

"It's nothing, lieutenant," the captain dismissed her comment, keeping his eyes squeezed shut.

"Forgive me if I disbelieve you, captain," Leoni said in a dull but exasperated tone.

The captain looked as if he was about to respond, but his shallow breathing quickened and he shoved the handkerchief against his mouth once more. Leoni tried to wrestle her wrist out of his grip as it tightened to a painful degree while the man was practically hyperventilating. "Sir, let get of my hand!"

The captain's comlink began to chime incessantly now, but neither Imperial was aware of it.

The captain managed to release his iron grip, but he bent forward more until Leoni couldn't even see his face. She heard him say in a muffled voice, "Just go, lieutenant."

Watching the obviously distressed and ill captain, Leoni wasn't quite sure what to do, but she did finally notice his comlink was going crazy. Slowly grabbing it, Leoni answered. "The captain isn't exactly available right now."

"Who is this?" a voice demanded.

"Lt. Leoni Jir," Leoni replied. "And as I said, the captain is indisposed."

"Tell him it's urgent,"

"I can't—" Leoni said, but she was interrupted when the captain roughly grabbed the comlink out of her hands, glaring at the ground as he spoke, the handkerchief in his left hand which was hanging limply by his side.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice weak.

"Captain, during the prisoner transfer, one of the prisoners managed to break free from Imperial control. We weren't aware of it until now since he falsified the transfer report."

The captain's look darkened, his small black eyes seeming to look like black holes, sucking any life and happiness away. "Is he on the _Eclipse_?"

"Yes, sir, we've quarantined the area. He's somewhere between decks twenty-four and twenty-six."

"I'm on my way," the captain rose as he spoke, a terrifying and deadly look of resolve forming on his face. He cut the connection and pocketed the handkerchief, commenting to Leoni, "I'll keep a hold of this until I can get you a clean one, lieutenant."

Before Leoni could say anything, the captain stormed out of the room.

* * *

Luke moaned, clutching his right arm. It was probably broken from the blow he had received from that stormtrooper, but at least he had gotten away from them. He had even managed to avoid detection until the stormtroopers were supposed to check in for the end of their shift. He had called in to "confirm" that he had been successfully detained, which had temporarily kept the peace, but now they knew he was out.

He had so far avoided the guards who were searching for him, but he knew it wouldn't last. He also noticed that the Imperials had cut off all the exits. He was trapped.

Cursing softly, Luke looked for anything that could be used to hide or escape, but it was to no avail. He saw a grid covering a vent that could fit him, but he had no way of blasting or breaking it without bringing half of the Imperials on that deck before he could even fit through.

Stranded and in pain, Luke found his mind wandering to what in the blazes could have gone wrong. What had happened to his father? Was he captured too? Luke had to find the others and get everyone out.

Luke vaguely remembered that Obi-Wan had once told him using the Force could help a Jedi detect familiar people nearby. He supposed now would be a good time to try.

Closing his eyes, Luke concentrated. Obi-Wan had told him that the feeling came naturally. It was a certain calmness or anxiety of the mind, a certain emotion that was brought out when seeing someone. Luke simply needed to allow everything to flow out of his mind and the presences would begin to make themselves known. Obi-Wan had explained that if Luke could decipher between familiar and unfamiliar presences, he could probably detect a specific person, in this case his father. His father would be the easiest to find, no doubt, considering he was Force sensitive as well. Surely Force sensitive people had a different sort of presence in the Force.

Clearing his mind seemed to be the most difficult part, for between the adrenaline and terror, Luke found it nearly impossible to do so. Every time he pushed thoughts out of his mind, a creak from the metal floor or a tap from something just moving slightly would startle him into reality, making him think that someone was approaching. Shaking his head irritably, Luke would then close his eyes and have to shove out the millions of thoughts that had exploded into his mind in that time.

Just as Luke was finally beginning to calm himself and clear his mind, he began to feel odd sensations inside. He didn't quite know how to describe it or decipher it; it seemed like memories or thoughts, but they brought certain tastes or emotions or sounds. Luke heard whispers and voices, and it all made no sense. It was all quiet individually, but when compounded together, it made such a raucous in his mind that Luke couldn't hear anything else, leaving him with a headache.

He couldn't even hear the loud footsteps approaching and the sound of a blaster pistol being loaded.

* * *

Obi-Wan disarmed another Imperial as he led the charge to the listening post. He knew the point was moot by now, but the Rebels needed somewhere to establish a proper command post, and the listening post would do perfectly since it would accomplish two goals anyway.

Making sure his mother was close, Obi-Wan kicked another Imperial out of the way and dug his lightsaber into a locked door that led deeper into the facility.

The reinforcements seemed mostly busy with the space fleet, but those who had made it to the ground were compiling in the listening post, making it nearly impossible to take. However, they had already made it about a third of the way in, so there was no turning back.

Obi-Wan finished tracing a huge circle in the door and pulled his lightsaber out. He kicked the freshly cut circle and then charged through, his Rebel soldiers close behind him.

Sensing danger, Obi-Wan immediately looked for a place to take cover, but there wasn't one. Instead, he stood his ground, holding his lightsaber at the ready as he ordered his men to stand behind him.

Immediately after doing so, a barrage of blaster bolts filled the hallway. Obi-Wan had deflected blaster bolts easily for years, but the sheer number being fired eventually got through his lightsaber and hit him squarely in the shoulder.

Crying out in pain, Obi-Wan stumbled back a few steps, but he didn't stand down. Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber once more as his Rebels attempted to return fire all around him. His mother was among them, though she continually shot worrying glances in Obi-Wan's direction.

Going into the Force, Obi-Wan sensed out the Imperials' presence. They felt very similar, if not exactly the same, as those Imperials outside of the ice caves – apparently not all of them had been killed.

Obi-Wan pushed his hand forward, sending a wave through the air and pushing the Imperials back, but the clanging of a small but heavy metal object pierced his ears.

"Grenade!" Obi-Wan shouted, and his soldiers fell back, retreating into the previous corridor.

Obi-Wan grabbed his mother and hid just beside the still-hot door he had cut as the detonator exploded, throwing everyone to the ground.

Another sound of metal hitting the ground was heard but it was louder, and Obi-Wan belatedly realized that it had just landed where they were hiding.

* * *

Anakin had to admit he was impressed. He could tell Reivilo was as well, which brought a welling sense of pride in his chest.

Killer Squadron was doing a magnificent job.

As Anakin surveyed the battle from the flagship of the 4th Cusim Fleet, he saw that the damage had been heavy on both sides. He knew from the beginning that this wouldn't be an easy battle; his men were at an obvious disadvantage since they were fighting against a fleet that was tailored specifically to defeat them, knowing their every tactic. Also, they were given strict orders to capture the commanding officers of the capital ships, squadrons, and ground forces. It was practically an impossible task.

But they were doing it.

Anakin saw that each of his Star Destroyers was working individually at first glance, which gave the appearance of being divided and easily able to defeat, but underneath the veneer of practically handing themselves over to the Rebels, Anakin saw that they were slowly but surely cornering the Rebels on their own fruition. Each Star Destroyer was taking on a capital ship or frigate, positioning itself far from the other Star Destroyers, but allowing the Rebels to push it far enough where the Rebels unknowingly began to form up in a tight knit group while the Imperial forces were surrounding them. The Rebels were practically lining themselves up to be executed and they didn't even know it.

Oh, how he loved his fleet.

Nonetheless, the reinforcements were sorely needed. The delicacy of Killer Squadron's objectives did not allow for them to swiftly eliminate the enemy before being destroyed themselves, and so they were taking heavy damage as a result.

High Adm. Reivilo looked at Anakin. "I must admit, I am impressed with your fleet. However, they're about to be crushed. We need to move in now."

Anakin nodded. "You're all too right on that point, high admiral. You're in charge of this fleet. I'll be contacting Adm. Ran."

The high admiral saluted and walked to the front of the bridge to issue her orders. Anakin awaited the receiving of his transmission.

Soon enough, a hologram appeared, but it was not of Adm. Ran. Instead, Anakin found himself staring at Capt. Senesca, who captained the _Enforcer_. "Captain? Where's the admiral?"

The captain was surprised and pleased to see Anakin, immediately saluting. Anakin saw his face show a renewed hope, but the news he delivered was still bad. "The admiral is dead, sir, but with you here, we will win this battle. It's good to have you back, grand admiral."

"Have you been leading the fleet in his absence?"

"No, sir," the captain shook his head. "Neither the admiral nor I have issued any orders since our arrival here. The other captains already know what to do, and there are to be no fleet-wide orders until the formation is complete."

"Yes, I noticed the formation," Anakin noted. "I suppose the reinforcements will have to improvise with that… although I suspect it's more likely _you_ will. The Rebels aren't going to sit still anymore now that we're here."

"I understand that, grand admiral," Capt. Senesca nodded. "Will you be taking over the fleet, then?"

"I will be commanding from here, unfortunately," Anakin sighed. "I cannot board the _Enforcer_ in the middle of this battle. You will no doubt be doing most of the details, captain, but I will be issuing orders from here."

"Very well, Grand Adm. Morlev. What are your orders?"

"Well, firstly, make some room for the reinforcements," Anakin smirked. "We want to get our hands dirty. How many prisoners have you taken?"

"We have just received word that the ground force's commanders have been captured." Capt. Senesca replied promptly. "Many squadron leaders have been captured as well, but we are still in the process of storming the capital ship."

"Keep me informed on that, captain. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves; this battle is a sure victory now that we're here."

"Yes, sir,"

* * *

Luke yelled out in pain as a blaster bolt made contact with his left calf.

He had been trying to sense out his father's presence when his nerves suddenly felt like fire and everything seemed to slow down. He had opened his eyes, startled, and had seen a captain getting ready to blow his brains out, which quickly led him to flee the area. However, the captain was pursuing him relentlessly, not even waiting for stormtroopers to back him up. The man was terrifying, walking firmly and surely as an executioner as he pursued his target.

A pipe burst as a shot barely missed Luke's head.

"Blast it!" Luke cursed as he limped around a corner. He wasn't going to last much longer at this rate.

* * *

The room was a cacophony of screams and blaster bolts whizzing through the air. Leia grimaced as she tried to shove a fallen comrade off her.

The Imperials had landed a shuttle on top of the bridge and had broken in through the ray shielded area. There was no escaping them, but Leia hoped to thin out their numbers before she was finally shot down.

_I'm sorry_ she apologized to her family and friends. For some reason, she especially ached for Han at this moment, wanting to see his cocky smile and watch him madly shoot away, taking out dozens of Imperials alongside Chewbacca and Lando. Leia wondered if Lando was even alive at this point. Or if Obi-Wan was, or if her grandmother was.

She wondered if the other battle was going just as badly.

The blaster bolts stopped, and the noise ceased. Grabbing a blaster as Leia finally managed to get the body off of her, she pointed it at the nearest stormtrooper, but a blow to the back of her head rendered everything to darkness.

* * *

Leoni felt unnaturally nervous as she sprinted to the emergency ladder by the turbolift. The lifts had been shut off to prevent the prisoner from escaping the decks, so she had no other choice but to climb down. Using the code cylinder allowed to her as a lieutenant, Leoni managed to open the hatch leading to the ladder.

She didn't know why she was doing this. This wasn't her duty at all. She was ordered to keep an eye on things on board the _Death Star_, not Nova Squadron. But there was something in that captain's look that unnerved her.

As Leoni climbed down, she hoped she wasn't too late. She didn't know who the prisoner was or if the prisoner even needed to be alive, but she knew that she couldn't let that captain murder him.

The trip to deck twenty-six seemed to take an eternity, and worry filled Leoni. She didn't even know where the prisoner was. She knew he was still at large, but that wouldn't last if that hell bent captain had his way.

Leoni leapt out of the tube, sealing the entrance behind her, and grabbed her blaster, setting it to stun. As she walked the hallways, gripping her blaster pistol firmly with both hands, Leoni quickly found out that she didn't need to search long at all.

A pipe exploded just down the hall from a blaster bolt, and a very young man—Force, he was practically a _child_—limped into view, gripping his right arm. Leoni and the boy froze in place upon catching sight of each other.

Leoni raised her blaster. "Don't move."

The boy looked at her nervously, but he seemed more terrified of what was chasing him rather than her. Leoni had a sinking feeling she knew who his pursuer was. The boy didn't listen to Leoni at all as a result, limping as quickly as he could _towards_ her.

Just as he was halfway down the hall, the captain came into view, taking aim. Leoni shifted her gaze, aiming her blaster at the captain. "Sir, lower your weapon."

It was a good thing she had stated this firmly before getting a good look at the captain's eyes, otherwise she would have lost her voice. He held an utter hatred in them. Those eyes held death itself in them. There was nothing but blackness. Leoni felt herself drowning in it, and her grip on her pistol trembled slightly.

Despite her fear, not to mention her subordinate rank, the captain froze nonetheless. He did not, however, lower his weapon.

Leoni did her best to retrieve her voice, but she couldn't, so she settled for keeping her aim as steady as possible. The boy between the two Imperials simply stood still, probably hoping that he would be forgotten.

In all honesty, he was the least of Leoni's concerns right now anyway.

The captain's expression worsened, growing savage with the need to pull the trigger. Leoni suddenly found her voice, and before she realized what she was doing, she shouted, "Lower your pistol right now captain, or I will shoot you!"

_Oh merciful stars—what did I just say?_ She thought, but her words seemed to at least stop him.

The captain stood still, his face contorted in rage, but he did not fire. The seconds turned to minutes, and the standoff seemed to last an eternity.

The captain fired his pistol.

* * *

**I like torturing my characters, don't I? XD Poor Luke... anyway, please review!  
**


	18. End of the Day

Leoni stood, sweating and staring in shock. The captain also stood, trembling with unabated and unsatisfied rage. The prisoner stood frozen in place, the tips of his flight suit simmering from the purposeful near-miss.

The captain lowered his weapon.

Approaching the two slowly, Leoni couldn't help but let out her terror from the ordeal by decisively and hastily firing a stun bolt at the prisoner. She guiltily watched as the boy collapsed, probably damaging his injured arm further, but she couldn't move quickly enough to catch him—her legs weren't willing to go very quickly at the moment.

Leoni watched the captain as he glared at the prone boy, but neither Imperial said anything. She continued to make her way towards the captain, moving at a trembling, slow, but determined pace.

"Captain…" she said, her voice shaky. "Put the pistol down."

The captain continued to watch the boy.

"Captain," Leoni repeated, her voice firmer. "Put the pistol down."

Just as Leoni came close enough to grab the weapon herself, the captain collapsed, nearly knocking Leoni over as she caught him. Leoni held him tightly and grabbed his comlink, activating it and entering the most recently used frequency. "Hello?"

"Who is this?" the familiar demanding voice asked sharply.

"This is Lt. Jir again," Leoni replied, still holding the limp captain. "I found your missing prisoner. He's in the corridor leading to the turbolift on deck twenty-six. I've already stunned him."

"Very good," the voice acknowledge somewhat grudgingly. "We'll collect him. You can return to your _own_ duties now, lieutenant."

The person on the other end abruptly cut the connection. Despite the situation, Leoni huffed. "You're welcome." Leoni then returned her attention to the captain, bringing her crashing back to reality.

Now what?

"Eh… captain…?" Leoni nudged him gently, but he remained limp.

Leoni shifted so she could look at his face. His eyes were staring at nothing, and his breathing was shallow. He looked petrified. Leoni wrapped her other arm around him. "It'll be alright, captain. Let's get out of here before your stormtroopers arrive, okay?"

Leoni slowly began to rise, half dragging the younger man up with her. He followed her wherever she went, walking silently as if he were her shadow.

With the prisoner captured, the turbolifts were mercifully reactivated, allowing Leoni to take the captain to the hangar where they could return to the Death Star. As the lift sped along, Leoni could see the captain slowly building resolve and strength, creating a makeshift shield to pull himself together. His eyes were still dead, but his breathing began to return to normal and he stood straighter. By the time they reached deck sixty-seven, their destination, he looked almost normal again.

The lift door slid open and the captain marched out before Leoni had time to do anything. Leoni quickly followed, making sure he didn't try to wander off, but the man faithfully walked to the hangar. He led the way as if it had been his intention to go there in the first place, leaving Leoni a little confused, a little relieved, and a little irritated.

Leoni took the lead as they entered since the captain didn't know where to go. She marched purposely towards a shuttle that was humming, awaiting her return. The two quickly boarded, and Leoni called for the pilot to take off.

The captain's comlink chimed.

Sighing, Leoni turned to grab it, but the captain answered it dutifully. "What is it?"

"Captain! I was hoping to get you," the familiar voice said, sounding relieved. "That lieutenant's been using your comlink—"

"I'm aware of that," the captain interrupted.

"Sir, we have the prisoner," the voice reported.

The captain said nothing.

"Capt. Mustang?"

The captain grunted in acknowledgement and then said, "I heard you. I'll report to the bridge later. Make sure no other prisoners get out."

"Yes, sir,"

The captain cut the connection.

Leoni raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least I know your name now, Capt. Mustang."

Capt. Mustang shot her a look.

"What _happened_ back there?" Leoni asked.

The captain said nothing.

"You owe me an explanation, you know," Leoni crossed her arms irritably, waiting for an answer.

The captain remained silent for the duration of the trip, leaving Leoni concerned and more than a little angry and impatient. Men were such fools when it came to expressing emotions sometimes. Because of his lack of communication, Leoni tailed him after he disembarked, following him wherever he went, much to his frustration.

Eventually, the captain whirled to face her. "Stop following me."

"You're not telling me anything," Leoni snapped.

"You're a subordinate, and I'm _ordering_ you to stop following me," Capt. Mustang retorted.

Leoni snorted. "You're not fit for duty, so I'm not bound to follow your orders."

The captain looked enraged at her statement. "Not fit for duty?"

"I would say so, considering you tried to murder a prisoner who probably should be kept _alive_," Leoni replied angrily.

The captain said nothing. He simply glared at her before storming off. Leoni followed him.

"Will you just stop it?"

"No,"

The captain stopped walking once more, his fists tightening and trembling. Leoni took this as her moment to speak. "Look, I barely say a few words to you before you throw up, use my handkerchief to wipe your filthy mouth, refuse to admit you're ill, nearly murder a prisoner, and not offer an explanation for any of these actions, and you're expecting me to just _leave you alone_?"

The captain's shoulders sagged and he began to tremble, but his face remained resolved. "I've had a bad day."

"That's one hell of a bad day," Leoni remarked smartly, causing an irritated twitch in the captain's eyebrow. Before he could offer an irritated response, Leoni continued. "My husband is part of a campaign where the enemy knows his every move and is tailored just to kill him. I just found out that not only is someone I know well just returning from being held captive, but he's hiding something and leading two battles while doing so. I've been having a bad day too, you know, but I just spelled it out to you, my superior, who I don't even know. Now it's _your_ turn."

The captain looked away. Sighing, Leoni opened the door to another empty conference room, offering for him to enter. Capt. Mustang did so, but it was most definitely against his better judgment since he seemed to be regretting every step he took.

Leoni closed the door behind her and faced him. "Now what's wrong?"

The captain remained silent, but Leoni could quickly see his resolve failing.

"You nearly _killed_ a boy," Leoni stressed, trying to break down his barriers. "What's wrong?"

The captain was visibly trembling from head to foot.

Leoni took a slight step back. "You're not going to get sick again, are you?" she asked warily.

The captain burst out laughing. Confused, Leoni gave him a bewildered look, which only made him laugh all the more. He bent over, smacking his knee as he continued to laugh loudly, but Leoni could quickly hear the laughs degenerating into sobs. She barely managed to catch him as he fell, unable to hold himself.

Leoni didn't know what was bothering him, and she doubted he would tell any time soon, so she just held him as he cried uncontrollably.

What a day this was turning out to be.

* * *

Anakin gazed out into space as the remainder of the Rebel fleet was destroyed. The day was over. The battles had been won.

He was free.

It felt like an impossibly heavy weight had been lifted off him. He was finally back with his Empire. He knew a move like this, which had so decisively obliterated most of the Rebel forces, would regain any trust lost in him.

To tie up loose ends, Anakin entered the frequency for Leoni, but he didn't receive a response. Frowning, he tried again, once more not getting anything.

He didn't like this. Did something go wrong at the Death Star?

Anakin turned to High Adm. Reivilo. "Do we have all the prisoners?"

"Yes sir," she replied affirmatively.

"Then let's get back to the Death Star," Anakin ordered.

* * *

Shmi leapt to her feet as consciousness returned in full force, but the sudden change made her dizzy. What had happened? She remembered her son holding her, and then the explosion, and—

Gasping, Shmi looked around, realizing she was in a cell. Shmi called out to Obi-Wan, but heard no response. What was going on?

Shmi continued to call out to her son, but she got nothing. She didn't even get anyone pounding on the door telling her to be quiet. It seemed as if she were all alone in that small cell.

What could have happened to Obi-Wan? Why did the battle go so wrong? How did the Imperials find out?

What happened to _Anakin_?

Shmi found these questions plaguing her, leaving her feeling terrified and sick. No one came, and there were no interrogations or beatings… there was nothing. The only reassurance of not being the only thing in existence that Shmi received was the sound of a hyperdrive disengaging.

At least she knew she was on a ship.

Even so, no one came to the door. She heard occasional footsteps outside, but she supposed they were guards.

Shmi hoped her children and grandchildren were all right.

* * *

Luke moaned as reality slowly made its way to him. The first thing he felt was fiery hot pain in his right arm. He must have fallen. He just remembered being shot by the woman. That captain, though…

Luke shuddered.

He had gotten nowhere with that escape attempt, but for some reason, he felt safer in the cell now than he did out there with that captain on the loose.

* * *

Leoni sat across from the captain, holding his hands and rubbing her thumbs across the back of his hands reassuringly. He had managed to calm himself by now after finally getting all of it out.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Capt. Mustang squeezed her hands, but said nothing.

"You stay here," Leoni ordered. "I'll go check for you, okay?"

"Fine," he mumbled.

Rising from her seat, Leoni slowly released her grip on the man's hands and exited the room. Sighing heavily, she grabbed her comlink.

That's when she noticed she had missed a few calls.

"Oops," Leoni muttered, looking and then gasping when she recognized the frequency. Leoni immediately pounded in the frequency.

"Yes?" came Breifin's clipped voice.

"Grand admiral!" Leoni immediately stuttered. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't—I completely—"

"Leoni? You're okay?" Breifin sounded immensely relieved.

"Yes, of course I am, but—"

"Never mind the buts! You're okay?"

"I already told you—"

"Then why in the _blazes_ didn't you answer me?" Breifin snapped, his relief quickly leaving and being replaced by irritation.

Leoni bit back a sigh and retorted, "If you'd just let me _finish_, sir, I could _tell_ you."

Breifin calmed down. "I'm listening, lieutenant."

"There was a bit of a situation," Leoni explained delicately. She had promised Capt. Mustang not to tell anyone about his breakdown. "It wasn't anything too serious, and it didn't have to do with the grand moff, but I was kept busy because of it."

"What happened?"

"Well, one of the prisoners got out on the _Eclipse_," Leoni said carefully. "It put us on high alert for a while."

"One of the prisoners got out? What happened?" Breifin sounded awfully concerned about this, causing Leoni to get confused and curious.

"We recaptured him, sir," she replied. "Is it such a galactic issue?"

Breifin sighed, and Leoni heard the familiar exasperation and irritation in his voice as he said, "Very funny, Leoni. I just want to make sure those prisoners don't get loose. They have a lot of valuable information."

"And yet they're not being interrogated," Leoni pointed out.

"Leoni," Breifin said warningly.

"All right, I won't ask," Leoni sighed. "I'm not a high official."

"Just keep your comlink available," Breifin said exasperatedly.

"I will," Leoni assured him before cutting the connection.

"Of course you will,"

Leoni jumped, letting out a yelp. Breifin was standing just down the hall. "You—you—!"

Breifin laughed, looking far healthier and more relieved than he had when she last saw him. "I tracked your signal, that's all—honestly, you shouldn't be that surprised."

Leoni put a hand to her heart, having had too many _surprises_ already today. Breifin noticed the motion and approached her, looking concerned. "How bad was that escape, anyway? You look pale."

"Oh, it… it wasn't too serious," Leoni panted, trying to arrange herself more properly and calm down.

"Leoni, I'm ordering you to tell me what happened," Breifin said firmly.

Leoni gulped. "When you say tell you what happened, sir, do you—"

"Everything," Breifin crossed his arms. He wasn't going anywhere.

_Blast it._ Leoni cursed.

"Sir, I… it was…" Leoni was fishing for the right words, but she wasn't finding them, and Breifin's expression wasn't helping. "You could always ask the…"

_Oh, blast. I don't even know who that man on the captain's comlink was_. Leoni inwardly groaned.

"Well?"

Leoni took a deep breath. "A boy escaped. He hadn't even been taken to his cell yet. He was quarantined between decks twenty-four and twenty-six, and he was recaptured quickly. That's all there is to it."

"Do you know his name?"

"No," for once, this answer was completely honest.

Breifin raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You're hiding something."

"So are you, but you won't tell me," Leoni replied smoothly.

"Yes, but I am your superior," Breifin rebutted. "And I'm _ordering_ you to tell me."

"Breifin," Leoni said pleadingly, telling him she was serious. "Please… it's nothing that will change the military if it isn't told. Just… don't ask."

Breifin was obviously concerned by her statement, his brow furrowing. "Leoni, what's the matter?"

"An officer from the squadron had a very bad day," Leoni replied cryptically, using Capt. Mustang's words. "That's all. No one was hurt. It was just someone having a very bad day, breaking down a bit… it's just a matter of pride, that's all."

"Oh, no," Breifin looked at her worriedly. "It wasn't Capt. Mustang, was it?"

Leoni's eyes widened and her mouth sealed shut.

Breifin nodded. "It was Capt. Mustang."

"Shut up,"

"Your face told me everything,"

"Just shut up!"

Breifin looked genuinely concerned rather than just prying to be irksome. "Is his wife alright?"

Leoni sighed heavily. "I'm going to check on that now."

"I'll join you," Breifin said firmly, and nothing Leoni said would stop him.

The two walked the short distance to the medical bay together and Leoni approached a medical droid. "Excuse me, can you tell me where a Capt. Hawk-Mustang is?"

The medical droid obliged them with an "of course" and led them to the intensive care unit. Leoni and Breifin both stopped short upon reaching the room.

Leoni could see through the large glass double doors that Capt. Mustang's wife was in there. She had a breathing tube going down her throat and IVs were going up her fair skinned arms, looking as if she were having acupuncture. Her long blonde hair spilled over the pillow, stained red in places with dried blood.

"How is she?" Breifin asked since Leoni couldn't find her voice.

"She was in distress earlier and so we gave her a mild sedative," the droid reported. "After the mis—"

"Thank you very much," Leoni interrupted loudly.

The droid walked off. Breifin raised an eyebrow. "So there _is_ something you know about this that I don't."

Leoni just watched the woman. "Her husband needs to be here…"

"Yes, he does," Breifin agreed. "Where is he?"

Leoni didn't say anything.

Breifin faced her. "Leoni, where is Capt. Mustang?"

"He's in a conference room," Leoni answered. "Trying to pull himself together!"

"What happened?" Breifin asked more harshly than before.

"You don't even know him!" Leoni argued.

"Neither do you!" Breifin retorted.

Leoni growled and then snapped, "His wife had a miscarriage!"

They both stared at each other in horror. Had she just said that?

"She… she what?" Breifin stuttered.

"Don't you dare breathe a word to anyone," Leoni whispered, not caring that her friend was technically her superior by the highest standard. "I _promised_ I wouldn't say anything."

"I won't," Breifin sighed sadly. "But you're right… her husband _definitely_ needs to be here."

Leoni belatedly remembered that Breifin had lost his child as well. "Oh—I—Breifin, I'm—"

"It's okay," Breifin gave her a small smile. "It really is."

* * *

Daine breathed a great sigh of relief as he collapsed on his bed. Thank the Force that battle was finally over. Today had been a ridiculously long day.

Killer Squadron had limped its way to Agon 7 where an enormous space station sat. Daine had been amazed at the technology, as well as the rest of his men, but they were all sworn to secrecy about it. It supposedly was called the Death Star, but besides that, Daine didn't know much about it.

He was just glad that blasted battle was over with.

Closing his eyes, Daine hugged his pillow and began to fall asleep, not even bothering to take his boots or belt off. However, his sleep was interrupted when there was a knock on the door.

Daine moaned, burying his head in his pillow. He'd had enough for one day. There was another knock on the door.

Grumbling, Daine shot out of bed, his hair disheveled, and he opened the door. "What is—"

Daine froze as he recognized Grand Adm. Morlev standing before him alongside his wife.

Daine saluted, but was too shocked and numb to say anything. Instead, he was tackled by his wife as the grand admiral leaned against the doorway, laughing.

"You—you're—" Daine stuttered, looking at Leoni.

"Alive?" Leoni finished for him. "I was going to say the same about you."

Daine and Leoni shared a relieved kiss before Daine pulled away and pointed to Morlev wildly. "But—you know—he—"

Nydo only laughed harder. Leoni smiled and said, "Yes, I know he's alive as well."

Leoni then furrowed her brow in concern as she looked Daine over. "You're covered in bruises."

Daine barked a laugh. "Don't worry, dear, that wasn't the Rebels."

Nydo and Leoni both raised their eyebrows in a query, leading Daine to explain. "The gravity generators did this to me – they were going wild during the battle. I don't think I've ever been more nauseous in my life!"

Nydo and Leoni looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

"It's not funny!" Daine snapped. "Do you know how annoying it was trying to concentrate while you're being tossed around your own bridge?"

No matter how many times Daine tried to explain his plight, Leoni and Nydo only seemed to think it all the more hilarious, leaving Daine fuming by the end of the discussion. He eventually gave up, soundly kicking the grand admiral out of his room and kissing his wife before kicking her out too because she kept laughing.

* * *

"Honestly," Leoni chuckled as she and Anakin walked together. "You had to lead two battles, I had to keep an eye on the grand moff and deal with the captain's breakdown and Daine is complaining about gravity generators."

Anakin shook his head, a tingly feeling of happiness and the warmth of being at home settling in him. He and Leoni walked to the turbolifts, taking one back to the hangar and flying to the Death Star once more. As they walked along silently, Leoni asked, "Now that the battle's over, are you going to be staying here or moving on?"

"Oh, I'll have to report to the emperor directly about my disappearance," Anakin sighed, not wanting to leave the Imperials around him. "But hopefully we'll see each other again soon."

"I wish you could stay longer," Leoni looked at him sadly. "I mean, I thought you were dying or dead up until this morning. The least you could do is stay a little while more."

"You have no idea how much I wish I could," Anakin moaned. "But I have to go to Imperial Center."

Anakin slowed to a halt, bringing Leoni to a stop as well. He sighed and looked at her directly. "I'll miss you."

Leoni rubbed his arms reassuringly before giving him a hug. "You'll know where to find me, Breifin."

Anakin flinched at the use of his fake name. Leoni had been calling him that all day, and he was beginning to realize how much he had liked being called Anakin. Maybe he could tell her about it…? Well, maybe not. Leoni wouldn't understand, and besides, it would bring the whole _I'm-actually-a-Sith-Lord_ conversation, which he was very tired of explaining.

"Leoni, I have to go now," he said, pulling away from her. "You should probably try to go make amends with your husband before he leaves."

Leoni shot him a quizzical look. "Before he leaves? Are you taking Killer Squadron with you to Imperial Center?"

"Well, not entirely," Anakin shrugged. "But they have their duties to perform. The moment they're in proper shape, they'll be off again."

Leoni sighed. "The life of an Imperial certainly is a restless one."

"I'll say," Anakin mumbled, looking away. He wasn't looking forward to visiting his _prisoners_.


	19. Galactic News

What had he done? _What had he done?_

Obi-Wan leaned against the wall of his cell, completely lost. He knew he had been captured when that explosion knocked him out, but he had been pondering why they wouldn't just kill him. That compounded with the fact that he could sense his mother, his niece and nephew, and all the other military commanders, but _not his brother_ explained everything.

What had he done?

Moaning, Obi-Wan buried his face in his hands. He had been betrayed by his own brother. He knew Anakin had been fighting with the influence Palpatine had over him, but Obi-Wan thought that if it was bothering his brother so badly he would bring it to him. He thought he had broken Anakin's barriers.

Apparently not.

Obi-Wan wasn't sure what his brother would do now that he had them all in captivity. He just knew that he wouldn't go along with it. Obi-Wan had to find a way out. The only problem was that he couldn't. His lightsaber was gone, even if Obi-Wan used the Force to break the door (which would take quite a bit of energy) he still had hundreds of stormtroopers between him and freedom (_still without his lightsaber_), and that didn't even guarantee that he could get the others out.

What had he done?

A single tear escaped Obi-Wan's eye and rolled down his cheek. Obi-Wan didn't quite know how to feel. He had never been betrayed by family before. He knew a Jedi wouldn't feel angry… he didn't entirely feel angry. He was upset to be sure and, yes, perhaps he was angry… but not incurably so. He just wanted Anakin to come to his senses.

But he wouldn't. Obi-Wan knew he wouldn't. Not if he had chosen the Empire over his own family… no, Anakin wouldn't come back.

Obi-Wan hugged his legs and reached out to the Force, feeling for his younger brother. He was somewhere, but Obi-Wan couldn't quite tell; his Force signature had changed since Obi-Wan had last seen him. It had darkened immensely, hiding in the shadows as the young lost man used to. Force, why couldn't Anakin have talked to him?

"What have you done?" Obi-Wan whispered.

He should have known this was too much for Anakin to handle. His brother had been barely on the threshold of trusting his family let alone the Rebels, and yet Obi-Wan had thought it was fine, even _necessary_ to allow Anakin to go _by himself_ to an Imperial station that was going to be destroyed by his own hand.

He should have known. What had he _done_?

He had allowed his brother to be condemned to enslavement to Palpatine once more. He had condemned thousands of Rebels to death.

He had failed Qui-Gon.

One tear after another slowly crept down his face and Obi-Wan buried his face in his knees, trembling about what had happened… and was to come.

* * *

Safety was no longer a feeling he could remember. He had previously felt safe to be away from that insane captain, but now…

Luke didn't even remember what it was like to feel anything but misery.

Shortly after Luke had awoken in his cell, he had sensed Obi-Wan, who had contacted him. And he had explained _everything_.

"Father…" Luke moaned.

Why would his father allow so many Rebels to die? Why would he support an Empire that ruthlessly killed so many? Why would he betray the Alliance?

Why would he betray Luke? Why would he choose the Empire over him?

"Father… why?"

_Why?_

* * *

Leoni sighed sadly as she stood in the ICU. She had come to check on Capt. Hawk-Mustang, but it appeared that Capt. Mustang himself had finally come. The husband and wife were holding hands and simply watching the stars out the window. They didn't say anything, and they didn't cry. They just stared out that window, just as Capt. Mustang had done when Leoni first met him.

Yesterday had been stressful, intense, incredible, joyful, terrifying, and amazing. But today… today was just exhausting. It was the aftermath of so many things happening, leaving Leoni and most personnel in the fleets and on the space station empty and depressed.

Nova and Killer Squadrons were trying to repair themselves, but Killer Squadron would be departing today. Leoni had already said her good-byes to Daine and Breifin, and she was missing them already, even though the fleet hadn't left yet.

As Leoni watched the couple in the intensive care room, she couldn't help but feel as they looked. The two seemed to represent the mood. They looked determinedly out at the stars, but they were dying on the inside. They had been through too much. They had lost their unborn child. Leoni had lost her children; Breifin had lost his wife and child… Leoni was tired of this war.

Leoni was just tired in general.

Watching the mourning couple, Leoni wished the war could just end. This victory would deal a great blow, but Leoni couldn't help but look at the price of the victory. How many more families would have to be destroyed until those Rebels were satisfied? Even their _name_ denoted the chaos they wanted to cause: the _Rebel_ Alliance. As Leoni watched the two captains sit there, holding hands and staring morosely out the window, she couldn't help but despise the Rebels at that moment.

Leoni remained in the ICU for a while longer before leaving. She wandered the halls of the Death Star for a while since she wasn't on duty before finally ending up in an observation deck that overlooked Killer Squadron. The fleet was formed up and ready to depart. The last shuttle to depart for one of the destroyers had left an hour ago. They would be leaving any minute now.

Leoni's comlink chimed.

"This is Lt. Jir," Leoni answered, a slight wobble to her voice.

"Leoni?" Leoni heard Daine over the comlink.

"Daine!"

"Leoni, I just want you to know I'll be thinking about you every moment I'm gone," Daine told her. "So you'd sure better not forget to think about me!"

Leoni chuckled softly as she cried silently. "I won't, dear."

"I'll see you soon, Leoni. I promise."

"Take care of yourself, Daine."

"I will. You'd better keep an eye on yourself, too, Leoni; being in the Death Star isn't the safest situation either."

"I'll be fine," Leoni assured her husband.

"I know you will be," Daine replied, and then he said, "I have to go now. I love you, dear. And don't worry – like I said, we'll see each other again soon."

Leoni nodded as her husband cut the connection. Wiping the tears away, she watched as the engines on the Star Destroyers of Killer Squadron lit up brightly before the entire fleet punched its way into hyperspace, vanishing from sight.

* * *

Anakin sighed contently as he settled on his bed. Artoo beeped a query.

"Yes, Artoo, we're going home," Anakin whispered with a smile. "We're going home."

Anakin fell asleep shortly afterwards, not having gotten any rest last night. The flight to Imperial Center was eight hours, so by the time he was awakened by the ship's captain, he had gotten sufficient rest.

Anakin immediately ordered for a shuttle to take him to the Imperial Palace, which the captain promptly obeyed. Within the hour, Anakin was standing before the door to the throne room where Palpatine awaited him.

"You'd better go wait in my quarters, buddy," Anakin said to Artoo, who quickly complied with an affirmative beep.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin approached the door and entered the room.

Palpatine sat on his throne, his hood over his face. Anakin felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he was frozen by the sudden onslaught of the wretched stench Palpatine gave off through the Force. Palpatine's fingers were laced lazily as the emperor awaited Anakin to kneel.

Anakin went to one knee obediently. "Master,"

Palpatine motioned for Anakin to stand, which he did. Palpatine said nothing, immediately expecting a full explanation from Anakin.

"Master, I came into contact with the Alliance forces a year ago," Anakin began. It was odd having to tell the story from the beginning – one year ago seemed like an eternity now. "I decided that I would take the bait and 'join' them as a spy. I had to prove my worth, of course, but as you know, the targets I gave were inconsequential or were promptly alerted by Imperials before the Alliance's arrival. Unfortunately, I had to reveal the Death Star, but as a result, the Rebels sent over half of their forces, all of whom were eliminated."

"What of Lord Sion on Hoth?" Palpatine prompted, watching Anakin squirm at the topic.

"Sion… did not understand my mission," Anakin answered carefully. "He had also been planning to overthrow you, and he was growing pitifully weak. Besides, his death has given the Imperial military more support from the people. At least he wasn't entirely useless to you, Master."

Palpatine gave a cruel smile, but Anakin felt sick speaking about Ceddge the way he did. "A wise decision, then, Lord Vader, if not a bit rash. However, you took too much for granted on this _mission_ of yours."

Anakin waited for the lashing as Palpatine rose from his seat, walking towards Anakin.

"You did not give any consult to me, your Master," Palpatine said silkily, telling Anakin that the emperor was furious. "You acted on your _impulses_ just as you did all those years ago when Amidala was found dead. I would have thought you had _learned_ from that."

Palpatine's words bit into Anakin more than any lightsaber could, and Anakin remained silent as a result, bowing his head submissively to show respect. Palpatine paced around him like a predator.

"Your disposal of Sion was useful, but not well timed," Palpatine continued. "I was fully aware that he had been planning on overthrowing me, but the time was _not right_ to eliminate him!"

Anakin yelled out as Palpatine shot electricity at him, tearing through his nerves and shredding them. Falling to the ground, Anakin twitched horribly and continued to do so long after Palpatine had finished. He had expected a reaction like this for going so far without any permission or consultation with Palpatine, but it still hurt—_a lot_.

"What have you to say for yourself on that matter?" Palpatine spat.

"Master…" Anakin shakily rose to his feet. "I have nothing to use in defense. I did what I did knowing fully well what the consequences would be, and I am not going to be sorry or guilty for it. I did what I believed would be best."

"You do what is _necessary_, Lord Vader," Palpatine snapped. "Not what is _best_,"

"Yes, Master,"

Palpatine continued to walk around him, his anger showing in his movements. He seemed as if he was going to electrocute Anakin again, but he thought better of it. Instead, he waved his hand. "Get out of my sight."

Anakin bowed and made a motion to leave when he sensed danger and jumped. However, he couldn't completely get out of the lightning's way, and so he fell to the ground again, fire shooting through his veins.

When the pain finally ceased, leaving Anakin twitching uncontrollably and feeling as if he couldn't even think properly, Palpatine said in his smooth silky voice, "I would have thought that spending a year with the enemy would have heightened your senses and reaction timing. You are still too slow. You are still _weak_."

Anakin remained on the floor gasping before finally dragging himself into a standing position once more. It seemed as if Palpatine were ready to properly dismiss him now, and so he began to shuffle towards the door.

However, Anakin had other things in mind.

Grabbing his lightsaber faster than he ever had, Anakin whirled around and dug it into Palpatine's chest.

Palpatine could only stare at him, wide-eyed. Anakin smirked, his eyes narrowing as he felt his blood rush from the adrenaline, rage, and satisfaction. Palpatine fell to his knees.

"Now look at this," Anakin purred, taking Palpatine's old place by pacing around the dying man. "The Master bowing to the apprentice? I rather like this picture."

Anakin chuckled darkly. "My, my, Master. It appears you've been on your throne for too long. You are too slow. You are _weak_."

As Palpatine took a final gasp and fell to the floor with a sickening crunch, Anakin deactivated his red blade and slowly walked out of the room, a twisted smile on his face.

* * *

News had spread around the Empire like wildfire—the emperor had been assassinated. Children cried and adults trembled at the concept of such a large driving force for the Empire being snuffed out. It seemed as if the treacherous Rebels, who were responsible for this outrage, had finally gotten their dirty fingers into the heart of the Empire. They had taken Darth Vader, and now they had taken Emperor Palpatine.

However, out of these ashes, a new leader arose. This leader had much experience behind him and no tolerance for Rebels. He had been thought missing, but was returned, rejuvenated, and more than ready to eliminate the galaxy of the Rebel pestilence once and for all.

Days after the tragic news of Palpatine's death, the children were jumping for joy, and the adults were raising their glasses in a galactic toast. All were triumphantly shouting the same thing:

_All hail Emperor Morlev._

_Fin_

* * *

**So...? What do you guys think? Tell me what you thought of the story; I'd really appreciate the feedback!**

**And don't panic; there is a sequel to this. So you'd better review! *glares* lol, okay you're not required to, but still... Emperor Morlev is commanding it!  
**

**Okay, so some thanks are in order...**

**Some amazing reviewers:**

**Jedi Master Misty Sman-Esay has been there from beginning to end reviewing everything I write and keeping me believing that people are enjoying what I'm publishing. THANK YOU!**

**ilovenat was there for me in the beginning and sharing thoughts and opinions on the chapter which is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!**

**phantom-jedi1 leaves honest and wonderful reviews that are always there right when it seems the story is going nowhere and cheers me up. THANK YOU!**

**And special thanks to:**

**Kamia6 and andaere for wonderful LONG reviews, although they were sparse.**

**More wonderful reviewers to receive showers of gratitude are:**

**ILDV, jesi ki kage, ThisMortalCoil, Mo Angel, sweetyamiyugigirl, a recent anonymous viewer who I dub "Master Reviewer", and jmeec316. THANK YOU!**

***Imperial fanfare plays for reviewers***

**I'll see you guys in the next story! :-D (Info on my stories are under "NOTES" in my profile) And thanks for all the reviews, everyone!**

**-Girlbender875  
**


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